I vaguely remember visiting in the late 70s. One could walk through the entire all-white gallery but there were waist-high walls on either side of the walkway filled with ■■■■■, dark aromatic earth. I’m amazed it’s still there. I wonder how the soil has changed over 40-some years. Certainly the context.
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don’t know if he lives there, but if he does: rent control
maybe already be known, but unlike most places in the us, new york landlords can’t impose whatever usuary rents they want. if you’ve been there continuously, you’ve got some actual rights to stay where you live and pay what you had initially agreed to
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And then there’s property tax, utilities…
They changed the name to Dia Center For The Arts Inc.
https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ny/347375
https://www.erieri.com/Form990Finder/Details/Index?EIN=237397946
As of 2019, $194,940,557 assets.
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“m o i s t” is a that kind of a thing? Maybe the exhibit is still relevant.
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Richard Wilson, 20:50 (oil-filled tanks)
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Part of me is quite pleased this still exists after all these years. Another part wonders if the work really needed to be there for more than a year or so, and if the space wouldn’t be better used showing other works of art. A conundrum.
That’s a good argument for it’s continued existence. It’s taken on new meaning - and operates as an interesting rebuke to capitalism, now.
It’s obviously stable, so at this point I think I’d probably be more worried about what would happen if you took the soil out.
You mean the artist, Walter De Maria? Since he’s been dead for some years, I’d say “no.” The property is owned by an art foundation that exists to fund and display works of art, including a lot of “site-specific” works and owns the properties across the country where they can be seen.
They have a lot of properties across the US (and outside it, apparently) for art-works, including large pieces of land for e.g. “Spiral Jetty” and De Maria’s “Lightning Field” out West.
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I gotta hand it to the conservator, though, lucking into a job this easy in NYC. I had a part-time job once simply being responsible for keys and locking up after hours at a church. They even let me read on the job.
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I love Walter De Maria’s works. “Lightning Field” was really fun to visit.
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Those jobs are definitely out there. The funny thing is that they usually pay as much or more than more demanding minimum wage work (especially if accomodations are part of the compensation).
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I don’t like it something something something no-dig cultivation.
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Ointmentointmentointmentointmentointment!
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Coffee shplort
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Came here to say the same, saw it in the 80s and mainly just remember the smell. Assumed it had long since been replaced, hopefully with something equally weird.
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I briefly lived in that building, as well as had friends who lived there (including the building’s owner) just after this was installed. Rumor had it that a tenant’s cat got out and pooped in the “earth.” The necessitated that, at great expense, the installation be cleaned and replacement earth be trucked in from wherever the appropriate earth came from. I can’t verify this all these years later, but it’s likely true.
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Time travelers landing zone?
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So, maybe this piece should be renamed, “The Litter Tray”?
Welcome aboard, comrade!
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