With the hustle of the holidays behind us and the New Year encouraging a
fresh perspective, we decided to take an inspiration trip. Luckily for us,
Dia:Beacon is in our backyard and fits the bill perfectly.
building and landscape is a work of art in itself. Unusual in museums, it's lit
almost entirely by natural light, casting different shadows and spotlights
throughout the day.
At 300,000 square feet, the building affords each piece enough space to
breathe, and for toddlers (all of whom were noticeably very well dressed on
the day we were there) to run around and explore.
Michael Heizer's North, East, South, West defines sculptures with absence
rather than presence, causing a mix of awe and fear as you are displaced by
the depth of the 4 interior sculptures.
Robert Irwin worked as a creative consultant to the initial design of
Dia:Beacon, and his exhibition, Excursus: Homage to the Square³, sends you
into an ethereal space of 18 chambers made of mesh walls and lit by variously
colored fluorescents.
Sol LeWitt's memorizing Drawing Series... makes it hard not to go cross-eyed
as you get closer to see how many meticulous tiny lines make up these wall
to wall drawings.
One of our favorite exhibits in the museum is Richard Serra's Torqued
Ellipses -- they completely alter your experience of space and sound as
you wind your way through their massive labyrinth. These alone make
the trip worth it!
Returning outdoors, the tall Hornbeam hedges in the gardens designed by
Robert Irwin inspire an Alice in Wonderland experience, with the passage
ending in a view of the Hudson River.
As the winter chill hits and cabin fever begins, Dia:Beacon presents a perfect
excuse to get out of the house. (Unless you have a fireplace, then we totally
don't blame you for staying in.) If you find yourself hungry after your visit,
check out Harry's Hot Sandwiches or Homespun Foods for a delicious lunch
on Main St. in Beacon.
And then, bring art into you're own home! Check out our friends and artists work here.
Dia:Beacon for opening hours, directions and schedule of events.