San Francisco’s two-year-old Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) will move to the city’s financial district at the end of October, into a building known as “The Cube.” This complex is co-owned by Donald Trump and is currently on a lender watchlist. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the museum has secured a deal with the majority owner, Vornado Realty Trust, to occupy the 78,000-square-foot space rent-free for two years.

Ali Gass, the founding director of ICA San Francisco, shared that the museum is not commenting on the specifics of the partnership with Vornado Realty Trust but expressed gratitude for their support of the arts as a catalyst for cultural change in cities. Gass clarified that funds from the ICA will not go to the Trump organization. The museum, which offers free admission and is largely funded by Silicon Valley tech money, does not have a permanent collection.

In its first two years, ICA San Francisco hosted 10 exhibitions at its former location in the Dogpatch district, concluding with Suchitra Mattai’s solo show, “she walked in reverse and found their songs,” which opened in June.

The relocation is a strategic move to maintain financial health and continue paying employees above livable wages. Gass mentioned that the ICA began exploring new sites earlier this summer to remain financially sustainable.

The move coincides with local government efforts to revive the Financial District post-pandemic. Mayor London Breed introduced legislation in May to create the city’s first “entertainment zone” near the ICA’s new location. Despite a 35% storefront vacancy rate in the Financial District, venture capitalists have shown renewed interest, with tech and crypto companies signing major leases.

The Cube, originally constructed as the 1971 Bank of America flagship location, has been recently renovated. ICA San Francisco will open its new home to the public on Friday, October 25, with the exhibitions “The Poetics of Dimensions” and “Maryam Yousif: Riverbend,” the artist’s first solo museum show.

Sayart / Sims green sims010@naver.com