Impact : ★★★★★
Space : ★★★★★
Originality : ★★★★☆
Outside New York City, a huge building appears in a place surrounded by nature, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Inside this vast space, I witness an impressive collection of works by masters of contemporary art, displayed generously throughout the building.
A museum located in the suburbs of New York City. There is a nonprofit organization called the Dia Art Foundation (Dia), which runs several galleries across the United States. This museum is one of them. Founded in 1974, Dia is an organization and gallery that focuses on installations, site-specific works, and land art. It has supported artists such as Joseph Beuys, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Agnes Martin, and Andy Warhol, who were active mainly from the 1960s through the 1970s.
Dia’s largest facility is Dia Beacon. I take a train north from Grand Central Station in Manhattan. The train runs along the Hudson River. I think the word “fjord” describes it better than “river.” Beautiful scenery continues, far from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.
The train arrives at Beacon Station in about an hour and a half. The Hudson River lies right in front of the station, with a large parking lot used by local people. I walk about 10 minutes from the station to Dia Beacon. On the site, I find an old building that looks like a factory. I ask a museum staff member about the building and learn that it was once a packaging printing factory for Nabisco.
I enter the building and buy a ticket. Most of Dia’s other galleries are free, but this one charges an admission fee. The admission fee was US$25 when I visited, but this place is worth the price. After buying my ticket, I head to the area where the artworks are displayed.
To put it simply, it is amazing. I was amazed by an art space for the first time in a long time. The artworks and the space were so impressive that I could not help but let out a voice of excitement.
Many artworks are displayed across the vast space. The concept is to show the works of one artist in each room or space. First, the curtain work on the left after I enter is amazing. In the center is Warhol’s Shadow. The exhibition space is about 50 by 40 meters. The work goes all the way around the walls.
Then I enter the room with On Kawara’s Date Paintings. They are displayed from 1966 to 2000. It is a wonderful room. Three one-seat sofas are placed in the center of the room. Interestingly, two paintings from the same day in 1989 are displayed. I once came across a similar exhibition space at the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum of Contemporary Art in Berlin. This is the first time I have seen one since then. As a fan of On Kawara, I was so surprised to see this space that I couldn’t help but let out a sound of surprise.
The exhibition also includes works by famous artists such as Donald Judd and Roni Horn. One work that surprised me was a large piece by Michael Heizer on the left at the back. It has large square and round holes cut into it.
Then there was Steve McQueen’s work Bass in the basement, which had a strong impact on me. Square lights were arranged on the ceiling, and the sound of bass filled the room. The room was dark. It was about 80 by 50 meters, with a ceiling about 7 to 8 meters high. Deep bass sounds filled the room, while strange lights lit up the space. The color of the lights changed from orange to green while I was there. There were pillars in the room, and I saw people sitting against them. I think the best way to describe this space is as a place where you can meditate while feeling the strange colors of the lights and the deep bass throughout your body. When I entered the space, I also saw people sitting against the pillars, meditating in this space.
The building still has the atmosphere of a former factory. It is about 150 by 120 meters in size, with a ceiling about 10 meters high. A limited number of artworks are displayed in this vast space. There were 28 artists on display when I visited. In such a large space, even 28 artists leave plenty of room. It is a luxurious space.
Most of the works are installations. There were few paintings, with Andy Warhol’s Shadow being one of them. If you want to enjoy both the artworks and the space, this may be one of the best museums you can visit. I highly recommend adding it to your schedule when you visit New York.
By the way, if I had very little time in New York and could visit only one museum, I would choose this museum without hesitation. I highly recommend visiting it.
Visited in 2025.
Basic Information
■ Name : Dia Beacon
■ Address : 3 Beekman St, Beacon, NY, USA
■ Homepage : https://www.diaart.org/visit/visit-our-locations-sites/dia-beacon-beacon-united-states
■ Others
The brochure provided by the museum says that photography is not allowed, but I was actually able to take photos. However, when I visited, photography was not allowed for Steve McQueen’s work in the basement.