Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.
Bucking the trend of bookstores closing around the country, a branch of international art gallery and publishing house Hauser & Wirth has arrived in downtown Palo Alto.
Before Hauser & Wirth opened on Oct. 3, there were only two bookstores in Palo Alto. Bell’s Books, a long-standing independent institution, boasts over 350,000 volumes, including rare and historic books. Books Inc., now part of Barnes and Noble, offers the latest bestsellers and hosts author events. Now there are three. Hauser & Wirth brings a unique combination of both literature and visual art.
A gallery and publishing house focused on contemporary and modern art, Hauser & Wirth’s current gallery exhibit focuses on sculptor Alexander Calder and modernist Georgia O’Keeffe, two outstanding artists who “each sought to give form to the unseen energies shaping our experience of the world around us,” according to Hauser & Wirth’s website.
Standing at 201 Hamilton Ave, Hauser & Wirth is located in a beautiful green and yellow historic building right in downtown Palo Alto. When I arrived on opening day, Oct. 3, I first saw a line stretching more than a block, filled with excited visitors waiting to enter the gallery. While the crowd was predominantly older adults, there were also many young families and college students waiting to see the art for themselves, a testament to the store’s broad appeal. Outside the gallery, food trucks, seats and merchandise tables each drew long lines of their own.
Though many visitors were excited about the opening, they also expressed frustration with the heat and long lines with little shade. Mela Lin ’28 said that while she was excited to be there, she wasn’t willing to wait in 90-degree heat.
“I’ll just come back another day [to see the art gallery section],” she said. Lin noted she had learned about the event through fliers posted on campus and was excited to learn more about what the bookstore and gallery would be like: “I’m always looking for new activities to do in Palo Alto!” she said.
Hauser & Wirth’s interior is split into two distinct sides — the art gallery and the bookstore, each of which has its own main entrance. I entered from the gallery side, and the interior was laid out beautifully, with different sculptures and artworks spaced evenly throughout the place. Calder and O’Keefe’s artwork contrasted each other through both median and color, offering a glimpse into the different facets of modern and contemporary art. O’Keefe’s landscape paintings and Calder’s large sculptures and hand made jewelry created a dimensional exhibit highlighting the wide range of modern art.
Once I finally reached the bookstore section, I was immediately fascinated. The high ceiling featured exposed wooden beams and large hanging lights; books bound with string, bright covers and bold typography filled tables and shelves. Statues and paintings hung on the walls, while a few tables and chairs were scattered in alcoves by large windows. Dozens of people crowded into the space, leaving little room to move, but there was so much to look at that I was happy to remain still for a while.
Hauser & Wirth’s collection can best be characterized as coffee-table books for people interested in esoteric contemporary art. Books with striking colors and patterns occupied nearly every inch of the bookstore. Many were written by or about niche and famed artists and designers, from American painter David Salle to Dutch designer Mieke Gerritzen. Each was beautifully designed and intricately constructed to teach you something about the artist and their work before you even opened the book.
Rhea Pandya ’28 shared her thoughts on the new bookstore: “I’m so excited to have more art appreciation in Palo Alto,” she said. Pandya also expressed that she was hoping to purchase a book for her mom, who loves art. “I was surprised that there is such a large event celebrating art here, because it feels like everyone is so focused on tech,” Pandya said, noting the large crowd that had formed.
As an art and book lover, I am incredibly excited that Hauser & Wirth has made its way to Palo Alto, and hope to see it inspire an influx of creativity in the Bay Area. Perhaps its arrival will encourage Palo Alto to become not only a hub for technology but also a destination for art and creative expression.