Hip Dealer Spengemann Named Marlborough Chelsea Director

As part of Marlborough Chelsea's ongoing efforts to shed its staid reputation, the gallery has named Pascal Spengemann as its new director. His previous position was at the downtown gallery Taxter & Spengemann, which he co-founded in 2003 and closed at the end of last year.

Asked by A.i.A., Spengemann declined to speculate whether any artists formerly represented by Taxter & Spengemann would join the fold at Marlborough Chelsea. Originally founded in London in 1946, Marlborough's 57th St. hub opened in 1963, and has steadily represented big-name artists such as Robert Motherwell, Francis Bacon and Dale Chihuly. The Chelsea branch which opened in 2007, is attempting to become more cutting-edge by showcasing younger artists such as William Powhida and Rashaad Newsome. "It's pretty clear that they're interested in trying to bring a kind of new and dynamic program to the Chelsea space," says Spengemann, "and there are lots of intriguing possibilities with two floors of exhibition space there."

Pierre Levai, nephew of founder Frank Lloyd, has run the New York operation since the early '70s, but it is his 24-year-old son, Max, who has taken the reigns in Chelsea and who approached Spengemann for the job.