As the star of the Paris art market continues to rise, the Swiss mega gallery Hauser & Wirth announced today that it will open its first location in the French capital in the spring of next year. The gallery will take over the entire 26 bis rue François 1er townhouse in the city's eighth arrondissement, between Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Élysées. It is close to Gagosian's Rue de Ponthieu space, which opened in 2010, as well as Almine Rech, Christie's, and Mariane Ibrahim, but it is a little further away from the large cluster of blue-chip galleries in the Marais district, which includes Thaddaeus Ropac, Perrotin, Chantal Crousel, and, most recently, David Zwirner, which opened its first French location in 2019.
Hauser & Wirth's Paris branch will span 800 square meters and four floors, with a six-meter-high ground floor exhibition space and another upstairs on the first floor. The upper floors will house offices and viewing areas. From 1955 to 2018, the building housed the headquarters of Europe 1, one of France's most popular radio networks. It was previously occupied by the decorative arts gallery La Maison Decour until the 1940s. The space will be rented by Hauser & Wirth from an investment fund that purchased the building in 2018 from Lagardère Group, which owns Europe 1.
Most industry players are unlikely to be surprised by the gallery's arrival, with co-founder Iwan Wirth saying in a statement: "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." "Our love for Paris extends beyond the gallery's 30 years and matches that of our artists," he continues, "many of whom have already been embraced by the Parisian art community, institutions, and collectors who are very supportive of our program." The city is a natural fit for the gallery in this regard."
Hauser & Wirth has locations in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Monaco. The gallery's extensive roster of French or French-based artists includes Pierre Huyghe and Camille Henrot, as well as the estate of Louise Bourgeois. The gallery's relocation to Paris is the latest indication of renewed art market interest in the city, which has seen the opening of a number of international galleries and advisories in the last five years. Art Basel recently announced the launch of a new commercial event, Paris+, this year, displacing the stalwart Foire internationale d'art contemporain (Fiac) from its usual October slot at the Grand Palais. According to a gallery spokesperson, Hauser & Wirth will apply to participate in the fair's inaugural edition.
News of Paris' recent art market boom is frequently accompanied by speculation about London's dwindling position in the global market post-Brexit. According to the most recent UBS/Art Basel report, the UK's global share of the art market fell by 3% to 17% last year, while France's increased from 7% to 8% during the same period. However, Hauser & Wirth announced in December that it will open a new flagship gallery in London on South Audley Street in Mayfair, more than doubling its footprint in the UK capital, likely to reaffirm its commitment to Britain. "Despite the disappointments and disadvantages that have resulted from Brexit, all of our artists want to show in London." It has a lot of appeal and vibrancy. "London is not dead by a thousand cuts," Wirth said at the time of the announcement to the Financial Times.
Selena Mattei