The Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco is abandoning its downtown location after operating there for only one year, announcing plans to transition to a mobile, pop-up exhibition model throughout the city. The museum revealed on Tuesday that it will leave The Cube, a 29,700-square-foot former bank building on Montgomery Street where it opened in October 2024, to pursue a more flexible approach to presenting contemporary art.
Starting in early 2026, ICA SF will take its programming on the road, staging exhibitions and projects at prominent locations including the Transamerica Pyramid, the Port of San Francisco, and the Dogpatch Power Station. This innovative approach has garnered support from the mayor's office, which has praised the museum's efforts to revitalize downtown San Francisco.
"We always knew The Cube was a temporary home, a chance to bring our vision to a new part of the city and test new possibilities," said ICA SF Director Ali Gass in an official statement. "That time confirmed an evolving vision: Art doesn't need a single permanent space to make a major impact. Now, with support from the mayor's office, we're fully embracing that model – becoming a truly citywide institution."
Gass, who established ICA SF in 2022 after serving as founding director of ICA San Jose, leads what is far from a typical museum institution. The museum operates without charging admission fees and maintains no permanent collection, making it both more accessible to visitors and financially agile. While the decision to adopt a nomadic exhibition model is unusual in the museum world, it aligns with the institution's unconventional approach to contemporary art presentation.
The Cube was provided to ICA SF rent-free for two years by developer Vornado Realty Trust as part of an effort to attract foot traffic to downtown San Francisco during the city's ongoing post-pandemic commercial vacancy crisis. According to reports from the San Francisco Chronicle, the Wharton School of Business has now secured a deal with Vornado to take over the lease at The Cube for more than 10 years, with occupancy expected within 18 months. Notably, the Trump Organization, President Donald Trump's family business, holds a 30% stake in the property portfolio that includes The Cube at 345 Montgomery Street, as well as the 52-story skyscraper at 555 California Street and 315 Montgomery Street.
The museum's move to The Cube last October represented a significant expansion for ICA SF, which had previously operated from a much smaller warehouse space in the Dogpatch neighborhood that was only a fraction of the downtown location's size. However, curators and visitors frequently observed that The Cube presented substantial challenges, particularly noting that the massive scale of the interior space made it difficult to present artwork effectively and create intimate viewing experiences.
Following the closure of its two current exhibitions on December 7, the museum will temporarily pause operations before launching its new mobile model. The first pop-up exhibition will run from January 17-25 at the Transamerica Pyramid and its surrounding redwood park, strategically timed to coincide with FOG Art + Design and San Francisco Art Week. Inside the landmark tower's glass annex, acclaimed artist Tara Donovan will debut large-scale sculptures created from recycled CDs, while landscape artist Lily Kwong will transform the outdoor park space with innovative 3D-printed sculptures.
In spring 2026, pending approval from the Port Commission, ICA SF plans to present a collaborative exhibition featuring works by contemporary artists Dominique Fung and Heidi Lau at Pier 24, the former home of Pier 24 Photography, which permanently closed earlier this year. This waterfront location will provide a unique industrial backdrop for contemporary art installations.
Looking toward 2027, the museum will return to its neighborhood roots in the Dogpatch with an ambitious project called The Stack at the Dogpatch Power Station. This innovative public art initiative will transform the site's towering 300-foot former smokestack into a vertical gallery space, creating a unique art-viewing experience that overlooks a new 2.75-acre waterfront park currently under development.
"Arts and culture are essential to San Francisco's recovery," stated Mayor Daniel Lurie in his official response to the announcement. "I'm thrilled that ICA SF's multiple activations will continue to play a vital role in our downtown recovery efforts." The mayor's endorsement reflects the city's broader strategy to use cultural programming as a tool for urban revitalization during the ongoing challenges facing San Francisco's downtown core.
