French galleries closed before government mandate amid pandemic

As major museums worldwide shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Western art galleries proactively closed or reduced operations even without government orders. In France, galleries anticipated the national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, closing ahead of official recommendations. Notable closures include Perrotin, which shut its spaces in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Seoul while keeping Tokyo open under monitoring. Galerie Balice Hertling and Antoine Levi postponed the opening of their new Marais space, originally scheduled with an exhibition by Alina Chaiderov. Antoine Levi stated that health concerns took priority over business, noting that France seemed less drastic than Italy. Other galleries like Gladstone Gallery (New York and Brussels), Kaufmann Repetto (New York by appointment), and Galeria Pilar Serra (Madrid) also implemented measures. Museums such as the Louvre, Fondation Cartier, Musée d'art moderne de Saint-Étienne, and LaM in Lille announced closures from March 17. The new Balice Hertling space, designed by Nicolas Dorval-Bory Architectes, is a 110 sqm two-level former wool fabric boutique with high ceilings, conceived as a lightbox contrasting Haussmann interiors with rationalist lines. The gallery had searched for 18 months for a new location to support its artists' growth.