The always-incredible contemporary art space Dia Beacon, located just outside New York City, is currently hosting two additional awe-inspiring installations by Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Steve McQueen. Paired with the many additional world famous installations on long term view, a trip to Beacon is my #1 art pick this August.
Dia Beacon, Riggio Galleries, Beacon, New York. © Dia Art Foundation, New York. \\\ Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York. Courtesy Dia Art Foundation, New York.
Dia Beacon occupies a converted factory building, originally built in 1929 for Nabisco. Accessible most conveniently by a short train ride from Manhattan, Dia hosts a breathtaking collection of room-filling contemporary artworks that include stunning Richard Serra ellipses, Louise Bourgeois’ beckoning 9-foot spider, Michael Heizer’s “negative sculptures” and a room full of Warhol’s, Judd’s, Flavin’s, and many more.
Right now, that collection is joined by two exceptional installations on view for a limited time: Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ “Untitled” (Loverboy) 1989, installed on the most breathtaking scale I’ve ever seen, and Steve McQueen’s “Bass” 2024, a site-specific light and audio work in a 30,000-square-foot basement. A deeper dive into both artworks is below, along with tips for easy travel to the space from Manhattan.
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, “Untitled” (Loverboy), 1989. © Estate Felix Gonzalez-Torres. \\\ Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York. Courtesy Dia Art Foundation
Felix Gonzalez-Torres: “Untitled” (Loverboy), 1989
Born in Cuba in 1957, American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ groundbreaking artworks are often intended and encouraged to adapt with every new installation, adhering to certain strict rules defined by the artist while allowing for the unique architectural environments and ideas of the owner to produce something that is both familiar and forever renewed.
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, “Untitled” (Loverboy), 1989. © Estate Felix Gonzalez-Torres. \\\ Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York. Courtesy Dia Art Foundation
For “Untitled” (Loverboy) 1989, the rules for the work describe “a pair (or pairs) of light-blue, common curtains installed with relative ease, touching the floor and ideally draping all extant windows in the designated exhibition space.” Those relatively simple conceptual guidelines, along with knowledge of all previous iterations (see previous versions here!), have now been actualized here in this huge hallway and industrial space.
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, “Untitled” (Loverboy) (detail), 1989. © Estate Felix Gonzalez-Torres. \\\ Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York. Courtesy Dia Art Foundation
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, “Untitled” (Loverboy) (detail), 1989. © Estate Felix Gonzalez-Torres. \\\ Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York. Courtesy Dia Art Foundation
Here, light translucent curtains are hung on large paned windows that were already modified by artist Robert Irwin with varying glazing (see above). My favorite moment are the piles of cloth that gather gently on the floor, recalling something between a delicate dress and a waterfall. The factory-sized height of the windows along the full east wall also allows for the daylight itself to become a subject – subtly shifting and changing with every passing cloud. Standing here, the present moment feels precious and the air within the whole room feels alive.
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, “Untitled” (Loverboy), 1989. © Estate Felix Gonzalez-Torres. \\\ Photo: David Behringer (author)
The work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres always packs a surprising emotional punch – held somewhere between joyous play and a deep appreciation for the universality and temporality of life and love (Felix’s own life was cut too short at 38 years old, passing away in 1996).
Steve McQueen, Bass, 2024. Installation view, Dia Beacon, New York, May 12, 2024–April 14, 2025. © Steve McQueen. \\\ Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York
Steve McQueen “Bass” 2024
Meanwhile in the high-ceilinged, 30,000-square-foot concrete subterranean space of the building, Steve McQueen’s immersive work “Bass” 2024 is worth a long stay. The British artist and filmmaker is perhaps best known for directing the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave” but is also highly respected in the contemporary art world.
Steve McQueen, Bass, 2024. Installation view, Dia Beacon, New York, May 12, 2024–April 14, 2025. © Steve McQueen. \\\ Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York
This latest commissioned work is a massive color-changing light and audio work consisting of 60 ceiling-mounted light boxes that slowly shift through every color of the spectrum while three stacks of speakers transmit surround-sound that was recorded by musicians on exclusively “bass” instruments within this same space.
Steve McQueen, Bass, 2024. Installation view, Dia Beacon, New York, May 12, 2024–April 14, 2025. © Steve McQueen. \\\ Photo: Dan Wolfe
The beautiful bone-vibrating sound was created in collaboration with an intergenerational group of musicians led by renowned electric bassist Marcus Miller and additionally featuring Meshell Ndegeocello (electric bass), Aston Barrett Jr. (electric bass), Mamadou Kouyaté (bass ngoni), and Laura-Simone Martin (upright bass), all conducted by McQueen in the same space as the light changed – improvising to the moment, space, and one another.
Pro tip: Take advantage of the low-frequency sounds by sitting on the floor for a while to feel the sound as you hear it. On my visit, several viewers fully reclined on their backs. Either way, stay a while.
Steve McQueen, Bass (detail), 2024. © Steve McQueen. \\\ Photo: Don Stahl
Every slow color shift changes everything. Red feels like a warning, blue seems alien, and yellow somehow brought me back to earth. Making this even more surreal, the arrangement and diffusion of the light boxes produces no shadows in the room, creating a sensation that the air itself is changing.
Steve McQueen, Bass, 2024. Installation view, Dia Beacon, New York, May 12, 2024–April 14, 2025. © Steve McQueen. \\\ Photo: Dan Wolfe
Steve McQueen, Bass (detail), 2024. Installation view, Dia Beacon, New York, May 12, 2024–April 14, 2025. © Steve McQueen. \\\ Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York
Steve McQueen, Bass (detail), 2024. © Steve McQueen. \\\ Photo: Don Stahl
How to visit:
Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ “Untitled” (Loverboy) and Steve McQueen’s “Bass” are both on view at Dia Beacon through Spring 2025. The space is located in Beacon, New York, a beautiful 90-minute train ride along the Hudson River from Grand Central Station and an easy 5-minute walk from the Beacon train station. Dia Beacon is open Friday-Monday (closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays) from 10am-5pm. For more details about admission and more, along with information about the organization’s other locations worldwide, visit their website here.
