Ali Gass is leading the charge for ICA San Francisco, which now occupies a large space downtown in The Cube.
Ali Gass is ICA SF’s founding director.
Modern art lovers were giddy when the Institute for Contemporary Art San Francisco opened in Dogpatch two years ago. Now they’re ecstatic. Ali Gass, the ICA’s founding director, recently unveiled the new 77,000-square-foot space in The Cube downtown—quite a departure from its previous 7,000-square-foot gallery.
The small but mighty team—four full-time staff and five freelancers—made the move in less than three months.
Rodney McMillian, “Untitled (Orange Hills),” (latex, acrylic, and ink on a bedsheet, 2022-23), 89 inches by 64 1/2 inches, is part of The Poetics of Dimensions through Feb. 23.
The ICA’s mission as a non-collecting museum space remains the same: to allow great artists worldwide to experiment with creating something extraordinary. For Gass, the ICA is more than a gallery space. With an amphitheater, it’s perfect for performances and public programming.
“There is so much extraordinary energy and opportunity happening in downtown San Francisco and so much opportunity for real estate partnerships,” she says. “Thanks to the incredible vision and partnership of Vornado Realty Trust, we were given the [chance] to activate the Historic Cube at 345 Montgomery Street in the heart of the financial district. This put us in a position to anchor the cultural revitalization of downtown San Francisco.”
Shinique Smith, “Dusk,” (clothing, fabric, ribbon and wood, 2012), 48 inches by 60 inches by 6 inches, appears in The Poetics of Dimensions.
Gass thinks ICA’s new home is far from traditional and is a space where artists can dream big and respond to the language of The Cube. “I’ve been calling it the Venice Biennale approach, allowing installations to exist against and within this extraordinary architecture,” she says. “It’s a space for large-scale commissioned projects, which is why we’re here. We have already begun conversations with artists we hope to engage with here, and the space offers an opportunity for projects they might not be able to do elsewhere.”
Anthony Akinbola, “Neapolitan,” (durags on aluminum and wood frame, 2023), 71 3/4 iches by 144 inches, is on exhibit in The Poetics of Dimensions.
In addition to three inaugural shows this month, including The Poetics of Dimensions (through Feb. 23), Gass is excited about what lies ahead and the ICA’s role in the SF ecosystem. “I think it’s important to explore how art organizations can impact cities economically. I hope people will visit ICA and go to restaurants, bars and other museums and galleries near us like Jessica Silverman (@jessicasilverman), Rebecca Camacho (@rebeccacamachopresents), Wendi Norris (@gallerywendinorris) and others. There is so much happening downtown right now, and I hope we can be part of this burgeoning fabric of life in our city.” 345 Montgomery St., 415.226.9250, icasf.org
Photography by: COURTESY OF ICA SF; BRICA WILCOX; SHINIQUE AMIE SMITH FAMILY COLLECTION; NIK MASSEY
