Interview: Jeffrey Weiss

Yesterday G.p chatted with Jeffrey Weiss, newly minted director of the Dia Foundation, by phone and over e-mail. Thanks to writers like Jen Graves for generating so much discussion about Dia, which prompted a lot of questions for Weiss even this far out from his first day on the job. Our discussion follows.

When do you take the reins at Dia?

I won't move to New York until June; I'm involved in the business starting now but still completely immersed in NGA affairs, including the run of the Johns exhibition.

Is the Johns exhibition the last for the National Gallery?

You never know what the future holds, but for now I'd say that's a safe bet. Johns is probably it.

Nathalie de Gunzburg said that finding Dia a new home in New York is priority-number one. That's her priority as chairman. Is it also your first priority as director?

I have multiple priorities that are equal. One is to maintain all the existing sites under Dia's jurisdiction and ensure they continue to thrive. It's also true that reestablishing Dia's prosepct in Manhattan is a thrilling prospect and had a lot to do my decision to take the position.

Dia has always been connected historically to work that has thrived in Manhattan. Its relationship to Manhattan is natural for continuing its historical identity. And the Manhattan community misses very much Dia and the role it played there before when it had exhibition spaces in the city.

Given recent changes in museum culture over all, the way Dia might present an alternative to conventional museum culture is important to consider. In that respect I hope Dia will have a critical relationship to other art spaces in New York. Dia in the best sense has always represented a place or an idea apart.

Jerry Saltz is one of those Manhattanites who has criticized negatively Dia's decision to leave Chelsea. How do you respond to his suggestion that Dia made a mistake?

The only answer I can give is that it's our intention to return in a prominent way to New York. His criticism was premature.

To be clear—is Manhattan your current focus?

Manhattan is our focus, yes.

Can you go back to Chelsea? Is it a possibility?

Chelsea's under consideration, but so are other parts of the city. All bets are off at this point. The board and I need time to consider the advisability of establishing in different spaces around town. Developing the 22nd Street space for future use—optimizing that location—would require a large investment on the part of Dia. The question is whether it's a better investment to build a whole new space instead.

How does the revenue stream that the Chelsea space generates (rentals, etc.) factor into the decision?

It is useful revenue for now, and the building is therefore an "asset." But that does not, in and of itself, rule out redevelopment of that building.

Beacon is, after all, so close. Wouldn't the West Coast benefit more from a Dia institution? Or any place in between?

The current board and I feel that New York should be the next chapter in Dia's future, but that doesn't rule out any future expansion. Keep in mind that with the sites in the desert, Dia has a long and distinguished Southwestern identity.

Does Dia have a timeline in mind?

We're turning our attention to it right away, already. Obviously for everybody, the sooner is the better. But that's going to be the subject of so much conversation.

Who is on your shortlist of artists working today whom Dia will promote?

I don't want to speak about programming yet—I'll wait at least until I've actually taken the job. But yes, I do have a short list of candidates.

In your opinion, what was it about your experience as curator for the National Gallery that led Dia to tap you?

There's an intersection with what I've done and what Dia's done in the past. It's not just the Flavin retrospective—with respect to collection building, my focus for the National Gallery of Art has been artists working in the 1960s and 70s, areas that are of course under the purview of Dia. I'm both an insider and an outsider, I'd like to think. I do hope to bring certain museum standards to bear.

More work needs to be done in developing Beacon, and my experience at the museum will be useful there, since—as a space for safely and effectively showing art—Beacon's needs are related to those of the museum.

What's your plan for working with the Judd Chinati Foundation, which has dealt with funding issues?

No specific plans in that respect yet. Let's just say that I've got a lot of catching up to do.

A question for the Internet: What role can new media play for Dia?

There's definite potential for new media in Dia's near future—to be explored.