Paris Emerges as Post-Brexit Art Hub as Dealers Relocate and Galleries Form Suburban Collective
In July 2019, David Zwirner revealed that his gallery network would expand to include Paris, attributing this decision to Brexit, which he described as diminishing his London venue to merely a 'British gallery.' Other prominent dealers, such as Thaddaeus Ropac (1990), Larry Gagosian (2010), and the speculated Hauser & Wirth, have also set up shop in Paris. According to an Artnet Intelligence Report, UK auction sales plummeted by 24% in the first half of 2019, while those in France increased by 13%. Paris’s appeal is bolstered by a 5.5% VAT on imported art and various tax incentives. In 2020, four galleries in Paris united at the new Komunuma art complex in Romainville, designed by Freaks Architects, in line with the 'Grand Paris' initiative, especially relevant with the upcoming 2024 Olympics.
Key facts
- David Zwirner announced Paris gallery opening in July 2019, citing Brexit as a 'game-changer'.
- UK auction sales fell 24% in first half of 2019; French sales rose 13%.
- France's VAT rate on imported artworks is 5.5%; UK's is 5%.
- Four galleries formed Komunuma collective in Romainville: Air de Paris, In Situ – Fabienne Leclerc, Galerie Sator, Jocelyn Wolff.
- Komunuma is an 11,000sqm former lab converted by Fiminco foundation, designed by Freaks Architects.
- FRAC Île-de-France will open a building at Komunuma in 2020 for storage, conservation, and public presentation.
- Komunuma aligns with 'Grand Paris' masterplan started in 2007, accelerated by 2024 Olympics.
- Thaddaeus Ropac opened Paris gallery in 1990; Gagosian has two Paris spaces since 2010; Hauser & Wirth rumored next.
Entities
Artists
- David Zwirner
- Thaddaeus Ropac
- Fabienne Leclerc
- Vincent Sator
- Yvon Lambert
- François Mitterrand
- Emmanuel Macron
Institutions
- David Zwirner gallery
- Thaddaeus Ropac gallery
- Gagosian
- Hauser & Wirth
- Air de Paris
- In Situ – Fabienne Leclerc
- Galerie Sator
- Jocelyn Wolff gallery
- Komunuma
- Fiminco
- Jeune Création
- FRAC Île-de-France
- Freaks Architects
- Artnet
- ArtReview
- Perrotin
- Almine Rech
Locations
- Paris
- France
- London
- United Kingdom
- Hong Kong
- New York
- USA
- Cologne
- Germany
- Le Marais
- Romainville
- 3rd arrondissement
- 20th arrondissement
- 8th arrondissement
- Le Bourget
- Pantin
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Belleville
- Château de Rentilly
- Bordeaux
- Rue Louise Weiss
- 13th arrondissement
- Île-de-France