The Swiss Institute is Moving to the East Village

The new home will open in spring 2017.

A rendering of the Swiss Institute's future home. Courtesy Swiss Institute.

Beloved New York nonprofit the Swiss Institute is moving to 38 Saint Mark’s Place, at the corner of Second Avenue. Architect Annabelle Selldorf will oversee the renovation of the 7,500-square-foot building, slated to open in spring 2017. The institution previously resided in SoHo, at 18 Wooster Street, in a building formerly occupied by Deitch Projects and still owned by dealer Jeffrey Deitch. It finished its five-year stint there in July.

“This new building offers tremendous opportunities to expand upon our mission and serve a growing audience, to whom we will continue to offer forward-looking exhibitions and public programs, always free of charge”, said Swiss Institute director Simon Castets in a press release. “We look forward to joining and contributing to the diverse community of cultural organizations and artists that have called the East Village home for many years.”

While the new venue does not have any immediate visual-arts neighbors, it is within a half-mile of several cultural institutions, including Anthology Film Archives, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, and the Public Theater; it’s not far from the Bowery, home of the International Center of Photography and the New Museum.

The organization has also named nine new trustees to its board, expanding the group from 10 to 19. The new arrivals are curator Bice Curiger; Matthias Dettling, head of the culture and education department of Consul General of Switzerland in New York; collector/philanthropist Alexandra Economou; Fondation Beyeler director Sam Keller; art advisor Lisa Schiff; dealer Dominique Lévy; artist Christian Marclay; publisher Michael Ringier; and dealer Iwan Wirth.


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