A photograph of a woman and a vase lying on a mirror, stylized like a fashion magazine

Bernadette Corporation, Creation of a False Feeling, 2000. Inkjet print: sheet, 70 1/2 x 49 13/16 in. (179.1 x 126.5); image, 60 11/16 x 47 1/16 in. (154.1 x 119.5) Promised gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner P.2014.10 © Bernadette Corporation


A photograph of a woman and a vase lying on a mirror, stylized like a fashion magazine

Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner
Nov 20, 2015–Mar 6, 2016

A photograph of a woman and a vase lying on a mirror, stylized like a fashion magazine

Bernadette Corporation, Creation of a False Feeling, 2000. Inkjet print: sheet, 70 1/2 x 49 13/16 in. (179.1 x 126.5); image, 60 11/16 x 47 1/16 in. (154.1 x 119.5) Promised gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner P.2014.10 © Bernadette Corporation


A photograph of a woman and a vase lying on a mirror, stylized like a fashion magazine

Co-organized by the Whitney and the Centre Pompidou and composed of selections from the noted collection of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner, this exhibition celebrates American and international work from the 1960s to the present day. Featuring renowned pieces by, among many others, Diane Arbus, Robert Gober, Jeff Koons, Sherrie Levine, Richard Prince, and Christopher Wool, the exhibition will also include recent work by artists such as Liz Deschenes, Sam Lewitt, Laura Owens, Frances Stark, and Bernadette Corporation. Of the 800 works included in the gift from Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner, 550 will enter the Whitney’s permanent collection, and approximately 300 will become part of the collection of the Centre Pompidou. 

Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner is organized by Elisabeth Sussman, curator and Sondra Gilman Curator of Photography, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Christine Macel, chief curator and head of the department of contemporary and prospective creation, Centre Pompidou, with Elisabeth Sherman, assistant curator, Whitney Museum of American Art.

The exhibition travels to the Centre Pompidou after debuting at the Whitney.

Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner is presented by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, in collaboration with Centre Pompidou, Musée national d'art moderne, Paris.

Major Support for this exhibition is provided by the National Committee of the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Generous support is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston.

Artworks

Yellow, red and black abstract artwork by Charline von Heyl.

Charline von Heyl (b. 1960), Boogey, 2004. Acrylic, oil, and charcoal on canvas. 82 1/16 × 78 1/8 (208.4 × 198.4). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; promised gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner P.2011.472. Courtesy of the artist and Petzel, New York

Yellow, red and black abstract artwork by Charline von Heyl.
A cowboy in a raincoat sitting on a horse with a rope in his hand.

Richard Prince (b. 1949), Untitled (Cowboy), 1980–84. Chromogenic print: sheet and image, 43. 5/8 × 29 3/8 (110.8 × 74.6). Edition no. 2/2. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; promised gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner P.2011.328. © Richard Prince

A cowboy in a raincoat sitting on a horse with a rope in his hand.
Two sculptures of sink basins attached to a wall.

Robert Gober, The Ascending Sink, 1985. Plaster, wood, wire lath, steel, and enamel, two parts: 92 x 38 x 27 in. (233.7 x 96.5 x 68.6 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; promised gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner. P.2011.167. © Robert Gober

Two sculptures of sink basins attached to a wall.
Artwork that represents a printing press.

Sam Lewitt, Paper Citizen 4322, 2010. Chromogenic print: sheet. 63 3/8 × 49 5/8 in. (161 × 126 cm.); image, 62 1/2 × 48 7/8 in. (158.8 × 124.1 cm). Edition no. 1/3. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; promised gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner P.2011.250. Courtesy the artist and Miguel Abreu Gallery, New York

Artwork that represents a printing press.
A green screen.

Liz Deschenes, Green Screen #7, 2001. Chromogenic print: sheet, 49 9/16 × 66 (125.9 × 167.6). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; promised gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner P.2014.12. Courtesy the artist and Miguel Abreu Gallery, New York

A green screen.
The head of a woman with blue glasses next to a vase.

Bernadette Corporation, Creation of a False Feeling, 2000. Inkjet print: sheet. 70 1/2 × 49 13/16 (179.1 × 126.5); image, 60 11/16 × 47 1/16 (154.1 × 119.5). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; promised gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner P.2014.10. Courtesy Greene Naftali Gallery

The head of a woman with blue glasses next to a vase.
A video art installation featuring three red screens.

Hito Steyerl (b. 1966), Red Alert, 2007. Three-channel digital video, color, sound; 00:30 min. each looped; three 30-inch flat-screen monitors, three Apple Mac minis, mounting system, and connecting hardware, edition no. 3, 2 AP. Centre Pompidou, Musée national de art moderne, Paris; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; promised gift of Thea Westreitch Wagner and Ethan Wagner. Courtesy the artist and Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York

A video art installation featuring three red screens.
An artwork by Marc-Camille Chaimowicz standing on a gallery floor with five panels of plywood with fabric on it.

Marc-Camille Chaimowicz (b. 1947), Basel Sequence, 2011. Acrylic on plywood and graphite, pastel, and paint on paper, six parts: five boards, 96 × 48 (243.8 × 121.9) each; framed drawing, 15 1/2 × 12 3/4 (39.4 × 32.4). Centre Pompidou, Musée national de art moderne, Paris; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; promised gift of Thea Westreitch Wagner and Ethan Wagner. Courtesy the artist and Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York

An artwork by Marc-Camille Chaimowicz standing on a gallery floor with five panels of plywood with fabric on it.

Artists

Robert Adams
Ricci Albenda
Diane Arbus
Ed Atkins
Martin Barre
Bernadette Corporation
Pablo Bronstein
Merlin Carpenter
Antoine Catala
Marc-Camille Chaimowicz
Larry Clark
Anne Collier
Tony Conrad
Jeroen de Rijke
Liz Deschenes
Philip-Lorca diCorcia
Matias Faldbakken
Dan Flavin
Claire Fontaine
Lee Friedlander
Gilbert & George
Robert Gober
Gary Hill
Jamie Isenstein
Alex Israel
Gareth James
Aaron Flint Jamison
John Dogg
Mike Kelley
Annette Kelm
Jutta Koether
Jeff Koons
Michael Krebber
Daniel Lefcourt
Zoe Leonard
Barry Le Va
Sherrie Levine
Sam Lewitt
Sol LeWitt
Klara Liden
Scott Lyall
Lucy McKenzie
Peter Nagy
Bruce Nauman
Ken Okiishi
Henrik Olesen
Laura Owens
Philippe Parreno
Steven Parrino
Sean Paul
Joyce Pensato
Richard Prince
Josephine Pryde
Eileen Quinlan
Blake Rayne
David Robbins
Alan Saret
Cindy Sherman
Reena Spaulings
Frances Stark
Simon Starling
Hito Steyerl
Josef Strau
Emily Sundblad
Cheyney Thompson
Rirkrit Tiravanija
Keith Tyson
Danh Vo
Charline Von Heyl
Antek Walczak
Lawrence Weiner
James Welling
Christopher Williams
David Wojnarowicz
Christopher Wool
Heimo Zobernig

Videos

Events

A photograph of a woman and a vase lying on a mirror, stylized like a fashion magazine

Audio Guides

Listen to this audio guide of selected works in the exhibition, Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner, co-organized by the Whitney and the Centre Pompidou. 

Listen now

Installation Photography

The introductory panel at the Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner exhibit.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

The introductory panel at the Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner exhibit.
A black and white abstract artwork and a poster with text "I was just thinking" in the gallery.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A black and white abstract artwork and a poster with text "I was just thinking" in the gallery.
A white tree sculpture with hanging ornaments in the middle of the floor plus a dog sculpture and artwork on the walls.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A white tree sculpture with hanging ornaments in the middle of the floor plus a dog sculpture and artwork on the walls.
A white tree sculpture with ornaments and a dog sculpture plus artwork on the walls.
A white tree sculpture with ornaments and a dog sculpture plus artwork on the walls.
Three artworks on the walls of a gallery during the Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner exhibit

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Three artworks on the walls of a gallery during the Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner exhibit
A bench in the middle of a gallery with a wood floor and art on the walls.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A bench in the middle of a gallery with a wood floor and art on the walls.
A gallery view with artworks on the walls.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A gallery view with artworks on the walls.
Three artworks on the wall in a corner of the gallery.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Three artworks on the wall in a corner of the gallery.
A large sculpture in the middle of a gallery.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A large sculpture in the middle of a gallery.
A sculpture in the middle of a gallery with abstract art on the walls.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A sculpture in the middle of a gallery with abstract art on the walls.
A series of photos on the wall and a sculpture on the floor.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A series of photos on the wall and a sculpture on the floor.
A series of dolls on the left side of the gallery and other artwork on the wall.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A series of dolls on the left side of the gallery and other artwork on the wall.
Artwork in the gallery by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Artwork in the gallery by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Artwork in the gallery by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Artwork in the gallery by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Artwork in the gallery by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Artwork in the gallery by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Artwork in the gallery by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Artwork in the gallery by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Artwork on the walls by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Artwork on the walls by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Artwork on the walls by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Artwork on the walls by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Artwork on the walls by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Artwork on the walls by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Artwork on the walls by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Artwork on the walls by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Sculptures and artwork by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Sculptures and artwork by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Sculptures and artwork by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Sculptures and artwork by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
Sculptures and artwork by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Sculptures and artwork by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.
A wide view of a gallery with two sinks, two photos of cars, a hanging sculpture and large-scale painting.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A wide view of a gallery with two sinks, two photos of cars, a hanging sculpture and large-scale painting.
A bench sits in front of two photos of cars, a hanging sculpture and a large-scale painting on the wall.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A bench sits in front of two photos of cars, a hanging sculpture and a large-scale painting on the wall.
Art installation with a photos of cars, a sculpture in the right hand corner and two sinks on the wall.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

Art installation with a photos of cars, a sculpture in the right hand corner and two sinks on the wall.
An installation view with a bend on the gallery floor and art on the walls.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

An installation view with a bend on the gallery floor and art on the walls.
A black and white artwork on the left wall with other works of art on the right wall.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A black and white artwork on the left wall with other works of art on the right wall.
A bench in the middle of a gallery with artwork on the walls.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A bench in the middle of a gallery with artwork on the walls.
A view through the windows of a backlit figure.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A view through the windows of a backlit figure.
A black sculpture in the shape of a column on the gallery floor.

Installation view of Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 20, 2015–March 6, 2016). Photograph by Ronald Amstutz.

A black sculpture in the shape of a column on the gallery floor.

The Westreich Wagner and Wagner Collection

This exhibition includes a selection of works from the Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner Collection. To view all works in the Whitney's permanent collection gifted by Westreich Wagner and Wagner, visit the collection online.

A red-tinted screenprint of a red flag by Reena Spaulings.

A red-tinted screenprint of a red flag by Reena Spaulings.

A red-tinted screenprint of a red flag by Reena Spaulings.
Whitney exhibition catalogs in a stack.

Shop the Exhibition

Visit the online shop to buy Whitney catalogues, exhibition-inspired gifts, and more.

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In the News

"2015 was the Year of the Whitney. . .the cross-disciplinary approach taken by America Is Hard to See and Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner, is becoming the model for a new generation of curators."
—Hyperallergic

"Wagner Collection at the Whitney, Twenty-Five Years of Astute Buying"
—The New York Times

"At the Whitney, Thea and Ethan Wagner Show the Fruits of Prescient Collecting"
—The New York Times

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