David Lamelas, Untitled (Falling Wall), 1993. © David Lamelas. Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Berlin, 2016. Photo: Timo Ohler, courtesy the artist, Sprüth Magers, and Jan Mot
In a highly anticipated convergence of Conceptual, Minimalist, and Pop art, Dia Chelsea proudly presents David Lamelas: The Machine.
Marking the Argentine visionary’s first major solo presentation in New York, this comprehensive survey shines a long-overdue spotlight on a foundational yet historically overlooked architect of the 1960s and ’70s avant-garde.
Through a dynamic synthesis of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and site-specific installations, Lamelas invites audiences to interrogate the very nature of information, communication, and the boundaries of our own perception.
Conceived not merely as a viewing experience but as a spatial and temporal journey,
The Machine unfolds like a symphony across three distinct acts.
As a prelude of metaphysical soundscapes setting the stage for the physical installation, the exhibition was preceded by a profound auditory performance on February 11.
This piece, titled 1416 m³ (2014) and scored by composer Gavin Gamboa under Lamelas’s conceptual direction, utilized voice and sound to carve out volumetric, metaphysical space, acting as an immersive awakening of the gallery
The core of the presentation is a nonlinear retrospective opening on March 6, which dismantles chronological boundaries to explore key moments from 1965 to the present day.
This curation features a diverse array of works, highlighting stunning recent additions to Dia’s permanent collection, including the specially commissioned Situación de tiempo II (Situation of Time II, 2025).
To expand these dimensions further, a curated film series runs in parallel within the program space to stretch the exhibition's physical constraints.
Spanning from the mid-1970s to 2020, this cinematic exploration illustrates the sheer breadth of Lamelas’s moving-image practice.
There is perhaps no better canvas for The Machine than Dia Chelsea itself.
Situated in the pulsing heart of New York City’s Chelsea arts district at 537 West 22nd Street, the institution’s expansive, renovated historic warehouses offer the perfect architectural blank slate for Lamelas’s spatial inquiries.
Since its inception in 1987 as the Dia Center for the Arts, the Dia Art Foundation has been an anchor in the global dialogue surrounding minimal, conceptual, and experiential art.
With a legacy of championing pioneering site-specific commissions and long-term installations—including landmark shows by Mary Corse (2018), Jo Baer (2021), and La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela (2015)—Dia Chelsea continues its steadfast dedication to the vanguards of contemporary art.
Open from Wednesday to Saturday, 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, the Dia Chelsea shop offers a curated selection of literature and exclusive items.
Visitors can take a deep dive into current programming by browsing through Dia’s own publications, detailed exhibition catalogs, artist monographs, and thematic writings.
Additionally, the shop features exclusive branded merchandise and keepsakes, including tote bags, hats, notebooks, and postcards.
