Sperone Westwater, one of New York's most influential contemporary art galleries that helped launch numerous artists to international stardom over five decades, will permanently close its doors on December 31, 2025. The legendary gallery, which played a pivotal role in establishing the careers of Bruce Nauman, Richard Long, Francesco Clemente, and countless other prominent artists, announced its closure after 50 successful years in the art world.
The gallery's final exhibition features works by Richard Long, a British sculptor who has maintained a longstanding relationship with Sperone Westwater since its founding, having presented more than a dozen shows at the venue. Co-founders Angela Westwater and Gian Enzo Sperone made the difficult decision to close the gallery as they pursue separate professional endeavors, according to an official statement released by the gallery.
Established in 1975 in SoHo under the name Sperone Westwater Fischer, the gallery began its remarkable journey with Carl Andre as its inaugural exhibition. The third founding partner, Konrad Fischer, departed in 1982 and passed away in 1996, though his Düsseldorf-based gallery continues to operate today. Following the Andre show, the gallery quickly established itself as a major force in contemporary art by presenting exhibitions featuring Douglas Huebler, On Kawara, Brice Marden, and other significant artists of that era.
During the 1980s, Sperone Westwater became a premier destination for Neo-Expressionist painting, a movement characterized by its revival of gestural brushwork and emotional intensity. The gallery showcased prominent Italian artists associated with the transavanguardia movement, including Francesco Clemente, Mimmo Paladino, Sandro Chia, and Enzo Cucchi, alongside American painter Susan Rothenberg. This focus on Neo-Expressionism helped define the gallery's reputation for presenting cutting-edge contemporary art.
Throughout its history, Sperone Westwater represented a diverse range of artists who often defied easy categorization, including Wim Delvoye, Not Vital, Guillermo Kuitca, Mario Merz, Alexis Rockman, and Wolfgang Laib. The gallery's programming choices were consistently watched closely by the art world, though they sometimes generated controversy. Notably, filmmaker David Lynch first exhibited his paintings at Sperone Westwater in shows that received mixed critical reception, though his estate is now represented by Pace, one of the world's largest galleries.
While the gallery's roster historically leaned toward white male European artists, Sperone Westwater made significant efforts to diversify its programming in recent years. The gallery has featured works by Ivorian painter Joana Choumali and Puerto Rican artist Gamaliel Rodriguez among its exhibitions over the past two years, reflecting a broader commitment to inclusivity in contemporary art.
Since 2010, Sperone Westwater has operated from an impressive eight-story building on the Bowery, located near the New Museum. The 20,000-square-foot space was designed by renowned architect Norman Foster, though it remains unclear what will happen to this distinctive building following the gallery's closure. The gallery plans to participate in Art Basel Miami Beach next month before officially shutting down.
Sperone Westwater joins a growing list of high-profile New York galleries that have closed in recent years, including other blue-chip spaces such as Blum, Venus Over Manhattan, Clearing, and Tilton. The closure marks the end of an era for New York's contemporary art scene, as the city loses one of its most historically significant and influential galleries that helped shape the careers of generations of artists.
