Emanuel Layr Dissolves Vienna Gallery, Shifts to Decentralized Art Mediation Model
Emanuel Layr, a gallerist from Vienna, is set to close his gallery after more than 20 years of operation. He co-founded the gallery with Thomas Wüstenhagen in 2002, transitioning to a full gallery in 2005, and has been at the helm since 2011. The gallery relocated to a larger space in 2022. This autumn, Layr will take part in Art Basel Paris, Artissima in Turin, and Art 021 in Shanghai, but he has no plans for additional fairs at this time. The ongoing exhibition by Curated by Vienna will mark the final showcase at the current site. Layr intends to concentrate on fewer fairs and collaborate with artists and institutions in new venues along Vienna's Ringstraße, stating that his choice was not financially motivated but rather due to an overwhelming workload affecting quality.
Key facts
- Emanuel Layr is dissolving his Vienna gallery in its current form.
- The gallery was founded in 2002 with Thomas Wüstenhagen as a project space and became a gallery in Vienna in 2005.
- Layr has led the gallery alone since 2011 and moved to larger premises in 2022.
- He will participate in Art Basel Paris, Artissima in Turin, and Art 021 in Shanghai in autumn 2024.
- No further fair participation is planned for now.
- The current exhibition by Curated by Vienna will be the last at the current location.
- New spaces on Vienna's Ringstraße will include offices and two invitation-only rooms for gatherings.
- Layr states financial reasons did not drive the decision; increasing workload and pressure affected quality.
Entities
Artists
- Emanuel Layr
- Thomas Wüstenhagen
- Richard Prince
Institutions
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Paris
- France
- Turin
- Italy
- Shanghai
- China
- Ringstraße