Lean back: a museum lounge doubles up as art at Dallas’ Nasher Sculpture Center

Lounge areas of museums routinely slip into the shadows when it comes to taking in the main event – that is, the paintings and sculptures on display. But the Renzo Piano-designed Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, which is best known for its monumental collection of Calder, Picasso and Matisse sculptures, has taken a decidedly novel tack. For a new rendition of the classic museum lounge, Nasher director Jeremy Strick reached out to the Naples-born, LA-based artist Piero Golia, who worked in tandem with architect Edwin Chan – formerly of Frank O Gehry Associates – to conjure up an enticing space, filled with top-notch contemporary art.

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Chalet Dallas
The Naples-born, LA-based artist Piero Golia has created ’Chalet Dallas’ – an enticing, contemporary art-filled lounge for the Nasher Sculpture Center
(Image credit: Kevin Todora)

Lounge areas of museums routinely slip into the shadows when it comes to taking in the main event – that is, the paintings and sculptures on display. But the Renzo Piano-designed Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, which is best known for its monumental collection of Calder, Picasso and Matisse sculptures, has taken a decidedly novel tack.

For a new rendition of the classic museum lounge, Nasher director Jeremy Strick reached out to the Naples-born, LA-based artist Piero Golia, who worked in tandem with architect Edwin Chan – formerly of Frank O Gehry Associates – to conjure up an enticing space, filled with top-notch contemporary art.

Only two years ago, Golia unveiled his speakeasy-like gathering space, Chalet Hollywood, that integrated architecture, design and art in a LA storage centre.

‘My idea was to infuse a space with the latest in art, architecture and design to give a salon setting,’ says Golia.  In a nanosecond, the film community showed up. So Golia replicated that model right down to the sharp angle planes of the space with cork floors and an Yves Klein-like blue painted wall, right within the Nasher.

To fill it, Golia called on friends, such as conceptual artist Pierre Huyghe, who created a 3 ft by 5 ft aquarium that Golia describes as an ‘ecosystem of crabs and floating rocks’. Plus there’s an iconic Jeff Wall image and a piano, rumored to have been played by Joseph Beuys.

‘Piero Golia has made a space that defies any easy categorisation – a luxurious retreat, open and available for the enjoyment of every museum visitor, but also a site of carefully considered and executed experiences,’ says Strick.

Chalet Hollywood

Like in his previous project ’Chalet Hollywood’ in Los Angeles, Golia worked in tandem with architect Edwin Chan, formerly of Frank O Gehry Associates, to bring the concept to life

(Image credit: Kevin Todora)

A luxurious retreat

‘Piero Golia has made a space that defies any easy categorisation – a luxurious retreat, open and available for the enjoyment of every museum visitor, but also a site of carefully considered and executed experiences,’ says Nasher director Jeremy Strick

(Image credit: Kevin Todora)

Ecosystem of crabs and floating rocks

To fill the space Golia called on friends, such as conceptual artist Pierre Huyghe, who created a 3 ft by 5 ft aquarium that Golia describes as an ‘ecosystem of crabs and floating rocks’. There’s also an iconic Jeff Wall image and a piano, rumored to have been played by Joseph Beuys

(Image credit: Kevin Todora)

INFORMATION

‘Chalet Dallas’ is on view until 7 February 2016

Photography: Kevin Todora for the Nasher Sculpture Center

ADDRESS

Nasher Sculpture Center
2001 Flora Street
Dallas, Texas 

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