The prestigious David Zwirner Gallery has appointed Ebony L. Haynes to the newly created position of Global Head of Curatorial Projects, marking a significant expansion of her role within the international art institution. Haynes, who has served as a director at David Zwirner since 2020, will now oversee special exhibitions, projects, and collaborations with the gallery's artists on a global scale while continuing to manage 52 Walker, the gallery's affiliated space she founded in 2021.
Haynes established 52 Walker in New York's Tribeca neighborhood as part of David Zwirner's commitment to showcasing work by Black curators and artists following the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. At the time of the space's opening, gallery founder David Zwirner told the New York Times about his aspirations to address diversity issues in the art world, stating, "While you could argue that strides have been made on the artist side, the art world acts almost shamefully on the employment side. Something has to happen."
Since its inaugural exhibition featuring work by Kandis Williams in October 2021, 52 Walker has presented 16 comprehensive shows, each running for extended periods of two to three months. The space has showcased an eclectic and distinguished roster of artists, including Nikita Gale, Nora Turato, Tiona Nekkia McClodden, Tau Lewis, Bob Thompson, Arthur Jafa, Sara Cwynar, and Lotus L. Kang. The programming has also featured conceptually ambitious duo presentations, such as a groundbreaking show pairing Pope.L with Gordon Matta-Clark and another exhibition matching Glenn Ligon with Julius Eastman.
The space's latest exhibition, opening recently and running for just two weeks (dubbed 52 Walker's "sixteenth-and-a-half exhibition"), features wrestling-themed drawings by Raymond Pettibon alongside two live wrestling matches scheduled for October 3 and 10 in a ring constructed inside the gallery space. This innovative approach exemplifies the experimental nature of 52 Walker's programming under Haynes' direction.
In announcing Haynes' promotion, David Zwirner expressed his enthusiasm for the expanded role, stating, "I'm excited to have Ebony in this new role, as it is a logical evolution of her work here at the gallery. Seeing Ebony's Tau Lewis exhibition at our L.A. gallery earlier this year made it clear to me that her program should also be able to be seen by global audiences at our other locations. Closer to home, I am very much looking forward to her Isa Genzken show in Tribeca."
Haynes herself expressed excitement about the opportunity to expand her curatorial vision to international audiences. "I'm looking forward to bringing the 52 Walker experience to a broader audience and making even more room for ideas and collaboration with artists and curators across the globe," she said. "I've always been inspired by David Zwirner's program and I'm excited at the new ways the programs will continue to lend to one another." This appointment represents a significant step in Haynes' career and signals David Zwirner Gallery's continued commitment to diversifying curatorial leadership while expanding innovative programming across its global network of spaces.
