A recent visit to Dia:Beacon, one of several I’ve made in the past ten years, gave me a new appreciation of the art of the curator.  The sheer size of the space poses difficult questions: how to divide the cavernous interior and how to organize the flow between the spaces to navigate visitors around such a diverse collection.  What struck me during my most recent visit was the agility and intelligence of the curators in their management of the space and the exhibits.

The collection itself continues to be an intriguing one.  A significant number of the pieces displayed feel safe and accessible, almost decorative.  There’s an emphasis on color or its absence, for example in the selection of works by Dan Flavin, Anne Truitt, Blinky Palermo and others.  The whole thing can begin to feel like a monument to the safer end of the 20th century canon until demanding individual pieces by the likes of Bruce Nauman suddenly jolt you out of the comfortable familiarity of Richard Serra and On Kawara.

Every visit to Dia:Beacon reminds me of what a treasure it is: the galleries, the space overall, the grounds, and even the first-rate bookstore.  It’s a place with just enough surprises to never feel completely familiar.