Galeries Bartoux Opens in Venice, Criticized as Kitsch Temple

Galeries Bartoux, a French international gallery group founded in 1993 by Robert and Isabelle Bartoux, opened a new 1,200-square-meter space in Venice on October 10, 2025. Located in the former Cinema Accademia near Ponte dell'Accademia, the venue had been abandoned for over twenty years. The gallery sells hyper-commercial works by artists such as Miró, Warhol, Arman, Botero, and Dalí, often minor multiples, alongside derivative contemporary pieces. Critic Alberto Villa of Artribune denounces the venture as a temple of bad taste that exploits Venice's cultural heritage for tourism. He notes that the gallery's director, Lorenza Lain, previously managed the Ca' Sagredo hotel and has no background in contemporary art. The opening was attended by Veneto Region President Luca Zaia, who praised Galeries Bartoux as "one of the most prestigious realities in international contemporary art." Villa argues that the gallery represents the worst of Venice's extractive tourism, wasting prime urban space that could have hosted serious cultural initiatives.