A building on the campus of the Menil Collection that has remained dormant for eight years will reopen in 2027 as part of the museum’s 40th anniversary.

The Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum originally opened in 1997 to house two 13th century frescoes recovered and restored by Menil co-founder Dominique de Menil. Those frescoes were returned to the Greek Orthodox Church in Cypress in 2012 and the building became known as the Fresco Building, which housed different installations until it closed in 2018.

The reopening will allow the Menil Collection to use the space to showcase the works of contemporary artists, starting with a place-specific exhibition from Brooklyn artist Teresita Fernández.

“The Menil Collection has programmed its 40th anniversary year with strong exhibitions that explore the museum’s past, present, and future,” said Menil Collection Director Rebecca Rabinow. “As one of the highlights, Teresita Fernández’s extraordinary installation at the Fresco Building will join the Menil’s other single-artist buildings, the Cy Twombly Gallery and the Dan Flavin Installation at Richmond Hall. In recognition of the Fresco Building’s origins, her ambitious, site-specific artwork will address themes of spirituality and the human condition.”

Written by staff