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The Rubin Museum of Art, which debuted inside a former Barney's department store at 150 West 17th Street by Seventh Avenue in Chelsea back in 2004, will officially close on October 6, laying off 40% of its current staff and living on as a spaceless institution dedicated to research, traveling exhibitions, long-term loans, funding and scholarship programs.
More specifically, the museum will leave its physical space behind and transition into a decentralized model that will, hopefully, catapult the institution into the modern era of art.
“It’s leveraging the collection, leveraging our knowledge, leveraging our financial resources, and really thinking about what we’ve always been thinking about, which is: How is it that a museum in the 21st century still looks very much like a museum of the 20th century?” Britschgi said to ARTNews. “How can we redefine how we operate as an organization?”
Perhaps mostly known for its Tibetan Buddhist shrine room (which, by the way, is supposedly looking for a new home in New York), The Rubin was established two decades ago as a way to house the art collection of Donald and Shelley Rubin, a roster that predominantly focused on works from the Himalayas.
Throughout the years, the museum has been accused of showcasing stolen works, a fact that Britschgi claims has nothing to do with the decision to close either. In 2022 and 2023, researchers showed proof regarding the origins of certain pieces on display and the museum voluntarily repatriated them, an effort that the Rubin hopes to keep practicing.
"Should we—through our efforts in researching and documenting our collection or through inquiries—learn that objects in our care have been documented as stolen or looted, the museum will address all claims responsibly which could include the return of the objects to countries of origin," said an official spokesperson for the museum. "This practice will continue as a global museum."
"Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now," a exhibition ironically celebrating the Rubin's 20th anniversary, is set to debut on March 15 and close, alongside the physical museum space, on October 6.