The mega-gallery Hauser & Wirth will soon add a Paris location to its growing global presence, which currently includes 14 exhibition spaces spread across Switzerland, the U.K., the U.S., Hong Kong, Spain, and Monaco.
Situated in the 8th arrondissement, the new space will open next year in a 19th-century hôtel particulier. Hauser & Wirth will take over the entirety of that structure, spanning some 8,600 square feet across four floors.
Listen beautiful relax classics on our Youtube channel.
The hôtel was previously occupied a decorative arts gallery in the ’40s. As part of the space’s renovation, Paris-based architect Luis Laplace will restore the location’s previous 20-foot-tall ceilings on the ground floor.
Located at 26 bis rue François 1er, the new Hauser & Wirth location is about a 10-minute walk from the gallery cluster located on Avenue Matignon (on the other side of the Champs-Élysées) that includes Perrotin, Kamel Mennour, Almine Rech, Mariane Ibrahim, Christie’s, and a White Cube office. Also nearby is the Grand Palais, which is being renovated ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, and the Palais de Tokyo in the neighboring 16th arrondissement.
In an email to ARTnews, Hauser & Wirth president Marc Payot said, “We’re thrilled to finally be moving ahead with our longtime dream to create a truly special space in Paris. The city has been part of Hauser & Wirth’s life—and its plans—since our earliest days three decades ago, but even more than this it’s a font of inspiration and exchange for our artists.”
Over the past few years, Hauser & Wirth has been expanding rapidly, adding two European outposts last year, in Menorca and Monaco. It will also open a second L.A. space in West Hollywood this fall.
That Hauser & Wirth would open a Paris space has been highly likely in recent years, and not only because David Zwirner and Gagosian, two of its competitors, recently set up shop in the city (in 2019 and 2021, respectively). ARTnews reported in 2019 that Pace Gallery was also exploring a Paris location, but it has still not named a location in the city.
This is all in part related to the fact that many have seen Paris as possible replacement for London as the center for Europe’s art market in the wake of Brexit. Speculations only escalated earlier this year when Art Basel announced that it would launch a Paris edition of its art fair—officially called Paris+ par Art Basel—and take over FIAC’s traditional fall dates and venue at the Grand Palais. The first edition of Paris+ par Art Basel will take place in October.
In a statement, Iwan Wirth, the gallery’s cofounder, said, “We have made no secret that we have been looking for the perfect home for Hauser & Wirth in Paris for some years and I’m delighted that the search is now over. We have a deep respect for the incredible cultural community in Paris. The city’s importance for artists is undisputed over the centuries and we look forward to adding to this rich history.”
Source: artnews.com