Pace Gallery shuts down its Beijing location in 798 Art District amid US-China tensions

Pace has shuttered its Beijing gallery, with founder Arne Glimcher attributing the closure to political and economic strains between the US and China. The gallery, which opened in 2008 in the 798 Art District, was the first US contemporary art gallery to establish a presence in mainland China. Over the past decade, it exhibited both Chinese and international artists. Glimcher told ArtNews that the escalating trade war has made business in mainland China 'impossible' for some time. Additional challenges included a high luxury tax on artworks and an authoritarian political climate discouraging conspicuous displays of wealth. Glimcher cited President Trump's duties on Chinese artists and Xi Jinping's duties on Americans as the 'final straw'. Pace will maintain its two galleries in Hong Kong and keep an office and viewing room in Beijing. The closure reflects broader difficulties for foreign galleries operating in China.