Gagosian, one of the world’s largest art galleries, with 18 locations worldwide, will add another outpost to its empire. Next month, the gallery will open a new space in the Swiss mountain town of Gstaad.
The space is Gagosian’s third in Switzerland. In a statement, Gagosian director Millicent Wilner said, “Switzerland has long enjoyed a rich history of collecting,” adding that the country is home to “a discerning audience” of collectors.
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Wilner also said that the Gstaad location will allow the gallery to continue its expand its presence in the region. The new space follows the opening of Gagosian’s location in Basel in 2019. The opening of the new gallery will also see Gagosian go toe to toe with one of its competitors: the mega-gallery Hauser & Wirth also operates a space in Gstaad.
The ground-floor gallery will open on February 14 on the village town’s main street, Promenade 79. The space was designed by Rémi Tessier, who recently oversaw Gagosian’s new Paris location. To inaugurate the Gstaad space, Gagosian will stage an exhibition dedicated to work by Damien Hirst. Entitled “Myths, Legends and Monsters,” the showcase will include a series of monochromatic oil paintings produced over the past 15 years that depict famous figures such as Pablo Escobar, Marilyn Monroe, Sid Vicious, Andy Warhol, and Malcolm X. Another Hirst show will simultaneously be on view at Gagosian’s New York West 24th street location.
Gagosian began showcasing works by its artists in the Swiss Alps resort town, which is known as a luxury vacation hub, in 2018. The dealer has held a series of pop-up shows around the area featuring the work of artists such as Giuseppe Penone, Andreas Gursky, Marc Newson, and Ed Ruscha.
Over the past two years, as the pandemic halted international travel and forced the cancelation of art fairs, mega-dealers and auction houses have moved to open outposts in remote regional hubs where art collectors are known to congregate. In September, after months of consecutive delays that set the art market on edge, Europe’s premier fair, Art Basel, brought buzz back to the area when it opened the first in-person edition of its marquee fair in the Swiss city since the onset of the pandemic.
Source: artnews.com