Reimagine Contemporary Art

This project marks the Detroit Institute of Arts’ first comprehensive reinstallation of its contemporary galleries since 2007. Showcasing over 120 artworks from the 1950s to today, these reimagined galleries highlight the museum’s growing commitment to the art of our time. The reinstallation puts Detroit at the heart of the DIA’s vision for contemporary art, featuring local artists in every gallery, alongside art made across the world. It recognizes Detroit as a vital creative center that is part of a global conversation about art’s role in resistance, reinvention, and revolution.

Each of the 10 galleries has its own distinct theme—exploring history and memory, media and politics, and the transformative power of love and loss. Anchored by returning favorites by David Hammons, Eva Hesse, Charles McGee, Joan Mitchell, Nam June Paik, Shahzia Sikander, and others, this reinstallation features stunning recent acquisitions by artists including Firelei Báez, Raven Halfmoon, Matthew Angelo Harrison, Tiff Massey, Mohammed Sami, and Nari Ward— expanding the stories the collection can tell.

Throughout the DIA’s newly reinstalled contemporary galleries, artists are visionaries and changemakers, creating art that encourages us to think deeply, act boldly, and work collectively to reimagine our shared future.