Sperone Westwater Gallery

History

Sperone Westwater Fischer was founded in 1975, when Italian art dealer Gian Enzo Sperone, Angela Westwater, and German art dealer Konrad Fischer opened a space at 142 Greene Street in SoHo, New York (The gallery's name was changed to Sperone Westwater in 1982). An additional space was subsequently established at 121 Greene Street. The founders' original program showcased members of the European avant-garde alongside a core group of American artists to whom its founders were committed. Notable early exhibitions include a 1977 show of minimalist works by Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, and Sol Lewitt; early shows of Bruce Nauman and Richard Long; and the installation of one of Mario Merz's celebrated glass and neon igloos in 1979—part of the gallery's ongoing dedication to Arte Povera artists, including Alighiero Boetti. Other early historical exhibitions at the Greene Street space include a 1989 group show, "Early Conceptual Works," which featured On Kawara, Bruce Nauman, Alighiero Boetti, and Joseph Kosuth, among others; a 1999 Fontana exhibition titled "Gold: Gothic Masters and Lucio Fontana"; and selected presentations of work by Piero Manzoni and Greg Colson. From May 2002 to May 2010, the gallery was located at 415 West 13 Street, in a 10,000-square-foot (930 m²) space in the Meatpacking District.

In September 2010, Sperone Westwater inaugurated a new Foster + Partner designed building at 257 Bowery in New York. Today, 40 years after its conception, the gallery continues to exhibit an international roster of prominent artists working in a wide variety of media.

Artists

Renowned artists Bruce Nauman and Susan Rothenberg have been with Sperone Westwater since 1975 and 1987, respectively. They are joined by established American artists Barry X Ball, Kim Dingle, Mark Greenwold, Charles LeDray, Tom Sachs, William Wegman, and Martin Wilner, and internationally recognized artists including Bertozzi & Casoni, Wim Delvoye, Guillermo Kuitca, Wolfgang Laib, Liu Ye, Richard Long, Heinz Mack, Malcolm Morley, Nabil Nahas, Evan Penny, Otto Piene, Not Vital, and Jan Worst.

257 Bowery Space

According to the architect, Sperone Westwater's design is “a response to The Bowery’s dynamic urban character and a desire to rethink the way in which we engage with art.” The gallery is a steel and concrete structure clad in glass and metal panels that is supported on a concrete foundation. The west facade, the main entrance, is made of milled laminated glass on a rigid frame system, and the east facade is composed of a corrugated black metal panel system and transparent glass.The most striking feature of the building is the inventive use of a moving exhibition space that can serve as an extension of the gallery floor. This Moving Room creates a dramatic experience for the person entering the gallery and distinguishes the exterior form in a striking way.

In 2011, the Municipal Art Society of New York presented Foster + Partners (with Adamson Associates, architect of record) their MASterworks Award of Best New Building for Sperone Westwater at 257 Bowery. Organized annually by the Municipal Art Society, the MASterworks Awards recognize projects from the preceding year that exemplify excellence in architecture and urban design, and make a significant contribution to New York’s built environment.

In 2012, The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awarded the building its International Award for architectural excellence.

Owner Angela Westwater once said of the gallery, “a big white box, we’re not.” With its innovative division of space and use of material, the Sperone Westwater Gallery differentiates itself from the typical Chelsea galleries of large open spaces surrounded by white walls.