NEW YORK— A few eyebrows were raised last week when Philippe Vergne, currently deputy director of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, was named the new director of the Dia Art Foundation. The French native enjoys an enviable reputation as a curator; he has been at the Walker since 1997 (except for a brief sojourn at the Fondation François Pinault in Paris 2004–05), curating a string of successful shows there. He is particularly respected for his passionate enthusiasm for contemporary art, his skills in working with artists, and his ability to make difficult art accessible to large audiences. New Yorkers know him as the co-curator, with Chrissie Iles, of the 2006 Whitney Biennial (which, particularly since the opening of this year’s somewhat downbeat edition, is usually recalled favorably). He also curated the widely celebrated Kara Walker show “My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love,” which showed recently in Paris and Los Angeles as well as at the Walker and the Whitney.

But Dia needs more than a successful curator at its helm right now. Founded in New York in 1974 as a vehicle for some of the more challenging art of the ’60s and ’70s, Dia was soon collecting and commissioning the art of Joseph Beuys, Richard Serra, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, and Andy Warhol, as well as building long-term commitments to Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty (in Utah), Walter de Maria’s Lightning Field (in New Mexico), and Michael Heizer’s City complex (in Arizona). In recent years, however, Dia has had more than its share of upheaval. Dia: Beacon was established in upstate New York in 2003, but since closing its Chelsea home in 2004, the foundation has been without a permanent exhibition space in New York City. And no new arrangement has been secured.

Vergne will undoubtedly be called on to address the issue, as well as to bring a sense of stability to the institution. The previous director, Jeffrey Weiss, resigned in February after just nine months in the job. Before that, the resignations in swift succession of Weiss’s predecessor, Michael Govan, and the chairman of Dia’s board, Leonard Riggio (who was also the foundation’s most generous benefactor) led to the abandonment of plans to build a new New York City museum under the High Line (the site has since been confirmed as the location for the Whitney’s downtown expansion).

ARTINFO asked Philippe Vergne about some of these challenges in an exchange of emails last week.

Philippe, Dia has lost Michael Govan, Leonard Riggio, and Jeffrey Weiss in quick succession over the last two and a half years. Do you feel like you’re engaged in a rescue operation?

Transitions are part of the life cycles of institutions. Dia has a long, rich, and deep history, including a true blossoming under Michael’s leadership.

The absence of a New York City public home for Dia has been the subject of much speculation since the abandonment of the High Line site. What are your plans in that direction?

From the many people I have spoken with, it has become clear that there is a great need and desire to see Dia back in town. It is a bit too early for me to give you a definitive plan, but it is fair to say that we are committed to finding a home in the city. How, when, where, I cannot say. Stay tuned.

You have two major hurdles in this regard: You don’t have a site, and you don’t have a budget. How will you overcome them?

We have desire, an incredible amount of support, very strong principles, a mission, and a vision. The glass is three-quarters full... never half empty.

Your experience is mostly museum-based, but Dia is far more than a museum. Who’s going to change more, Dia or you?

I love change, and I am interested in evolution.

To put it differently, your reputation is primarily as a curator. How different is the role of a director?

Very different. But they are both rooted in an understanding of the object and subject matter. Curating is not limited to objects in space. Curating for me is to measure the spaces between individuals, ideas, and projects. I believe that the role of a director is to curate between the lines; to curate an institution rather than a gallery. It is a different exercise, but both are balancing acts.

Of course, Dia also already has a curator. How do you anticipate the division of labor between yourself and Lynne Cooke?

I have enormous admiration for Lynne and her work. I do not anticipate division. I rather think of our roles as complementary and based on trust and respect.

Dia also has a problem in terms of how it is perceived. Its taste seems rooted in the cool minimalism of the mid- to late-twentieth century (as exemplified by the collection at Dia: Beacon). Will you change that?

Stillness has never been part of Dia. If one pays attention to Dia’s recent programs, including Jorge Pardo, Francis Alÿs, Tacita Dean, the upcoming Zoe Leonard, and the Web projects, I believe you get the beginning of an answer. With a great legacy comes a bright future.

You recently told a Minneapolis Arts Commission forum that “entertainment is a dirty word.” Can you explain what you meant by that?

I believe I said “blockbuster” is a dirty word. Remember, I did an exhibition called “Let’s Entertain.”

Can you explain the distinction you’re making?

I am very interested in “entertainment” in the Pascalian sense of divertissement or in the Brechtian, theatrical understanding of the word — learning through pleasure. I do think institutions can learn from this. Aiming for blockbusters is another question — it is about fulfilling immediate desires. It is flirting with entertainment or, let’s say, a one-night stand in which the two parties do not share the same expectations.

How would you respond to the suggestion that with Kathy Halbreich now at MoMA and Richard Flood at the New Museum, your arrival at Dia means that there’s a Walker mafia invading Manhattan?

It is not an invasion. It is more like a family reunion.

On the other hand, where does your departure leave the Walker?

My departure leaves the Walker with an amazing staff, a great collection, fascinating upcoming programs, a new leader, a committed board, and room to dream for the next chief curator. And I hope a bit of my DNA here and there.