Profile

When Christian Haye decided to relocate his gallery from Harlem in 2002, he bypassed the obvious choice—Chelsea—and chose instead a modest-size midtown spot. It’s a puzzling move given that Haye earned his rep by unearthing video artist Paul Pfeiffer and Ethiopian wunderkind Julie Mehretu, both of whom work with large-scale media. The new space has limited confines, which means larger works are destined for his more spacious digs in L.A. A much-publicized lawsuit with a collector circa 2004 found him saddled with a $1.7 million loss, yet Haye has somehow survived with Mehretu and Pfeiffer still on the roster, and subversive installation talents such as Kimsooja and Kori Newkirk adding a new and welcome edge. Every summer, The Project gives space to unrepresented artists: That’s how Chinese photographer Chen Xiaoyun came to be a name. — Tara Kilachand