The Whitney Museum of American Art is launching a new program called "Open Plan" in its fifth-floor galleries from February 26 to May 14, 2016. The program will feature a series of solo projects by artists including Andrea Fraser, Lucy Dodd, Michael Heizer, Cecil Taylor, and Steve McQueen, each presenting work for a short duration in the museum's largest column-free gallery space. The initiative aims to showcase the newly opened Renzo Piano-designed building's full potential and encourage repeat visits.
This program matters because it demonstrates how the Whitney is leveraging its new architectural space to foster experimental, site-responsive art. By allowing artists to work without interior construction and for brief periods, "Open Plan" challenges traditional exhibition formats and emphasizes the gallery itself as a dynamic, evolving environment. It also highlights the museum's commitment to supporting a diverse range of artistic practices, from installation and performance to painting and video.