Dia's Manhattan comeback

Since closing its Chelsea facility in 2004, the Din Art Foundation has not had a substantial presence in Manhattan, aside from a handful of permanent installations by Beuys, De Maria and Max Neuhaus. While it continues to search for a new home, the foundation has announced a three-year collaboration with the Hispanic Society of America, located on Broadway at 155th Street. Beginning this fall, Dia will commission a series of projects by artists who will create works in response to the Society's holdings of Spanish and Latin American art, artifacts and books. A bonus for the often overlooked Society, of course, is that the arrangement will attract visitors to its outstanding but little-known collection, which includes works by such Spanish masters as Murillo, Zurbaran, Velazquez, Goya and El Greco.

First up is Francis Alys, known for his site-specific, process-oriented performance events, such as the 2002 Modern Procession, in which he led a festive march, open to anyone who cared to join, from the Museum of Modern Art to Queens to mark MOMA's temporary relocation to that borough during its expansion. Alys's project at the Hispanic Society will be on view for about a year, in keeping with Dia's history of long-term exhibitions.

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