Explore An Exceptional Collection of Artwork From Gagosian at 181 Fremont

The name “Gagosian” is synonymous with the highest echelons of contemporary art, and the eponymous gallery (with its 16 spaces spread across the continents) has been an anchor of the international art scene for many decades. To help mark the official opening of 181 Fremont, the Gagosian Gallery has partnered with Jay Paul Company to bring the best of the art world to San Francisco’s most visionary tower and underscore 181 Fremont’s position as a world-class property featuring masterful design, architecture, and art.

The long-term exhibition was curated by Holly Baxter in the tower’s residential lobby and Sky Lounge, and it includes acquisitions by international artists whose works are in museums all over the world, including Joel Shapiro, Candida Höfer, Tara Donovan, Trevor Paglen, Shahzia Sikander, and Eva Rothschild.

Of her curatorial vision, Baxter says, “Our intention in curating the extraordinary contemporary collection at 181 Fremont was to acquire works that enhance the building’s stunning architecture and aesthetic by Heller Manus Architects and Orlando Diaz-Azcuy. We thoughtfully selected sophisticated works from across the globe that are intellectually and conceptually bold, as well as technically accomplished, to reflect the beautiful interiors and state-of-the-art engineering that define 181 Fremont and to further contribute to residents’ unparalleled fine living experience.”

That experience begins in the lobby, where Eva Rothschild’s Bright Eyes (2017) sits beneath a gold dome. The nine-foot sculpture, composed of a vertical column of patented bronze ovals, is complemented by Shahzia Sikander’s The Six Singing Spheres #6, which resonates with the room’s shape and form and the poetic nature of its design.

Up in the Sky Lounge, the various lounge areas, as well as the conservatory and conference room, showcase works like Edificio Basurto Ciudad de México I (2015)—a large-scale photograph by the renowned German photographer Candida Höfer—Joel Shapiro’s Untitled (2009), and Tara Donovan’s Composition (Cards) (2017).

Twenty intriguing and varied works from Gagosian by artists such as Richard Wright, Sally Mann, and Vera Lutter also decorate the newly debuted model residences by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy’s design firm, ODADA, and Charles de Lisle, the award-winning Bay Area designer known for his custom residential, retail, and hospitality interiors. Man Ray’s The Tortoise (1944), completed after the artist fled war-torn Europe for California, and Edmund de Waal’s the ten thousand things, for John Cage, VI (2015), which speaks to the artist’s enduring fascination with the nature of objects and the narratives of their collection and display, are standouts within the residences.

In addition to works on loan by Gagosian, 181 Fremont’s Sales Gallery features a dozen contemporary pieces on loan from Jessica Silverman Gallery. Other galleries loaning artworks curated by Baxter are the Adrian Rosenfeld Gallery, Altman Siegel Gallery, Ever Gold Projects, and the Eleanor Harwood Gallery.

Of this unprecedented partnership, Gagosian’s Graham Dalik says, “Gagosian is thrilled to partner with Jay Paul Company to present a selection of artworks in 181 Fremont. We are pleased to contribute to San Francisco’s established history of collecting and arts appreciation by displaying exceptional art in this iconic new building.” It’s a collaboration that highlights the ways in which 181 Fremont is already changing the landscape of San Francisco, both culturally and via its striking sculptural presence.