Second COVID-19 wave shuts museums and fairs across Europe

A second wave of the pandemic is forcing museums, galleries, and art fairs across Europe to close. France and Germany have entered soft lockdowns, shutting cultural venues. The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and Petit Palais in Paris closed on October 29. German museums will be closed from November 2 for four weeks. Italy is expected to close museums and exhibitions under a new decree on November 3-4. The United Kingdom will follow on November 5, with museums closed until December 2. Sharon Heal, director of the Museums Association, expressed solidarity with affected institutions and staff. German economist Michael Huether, director of the Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft, warned in Handelsblatt that a second lockdown could mean the end for many retailers, hotels, restaurants, fairs, and cultural institutions. Upcoming exhibitions canceled include Zanele Muholi's retrospective at Tate Modern, the Tracey Emin and Edvard Munch dialogue at the Royal Academy of Arts, and Artemisia Gentileschi's show at the National Gallery in London. Art fairs Fine Arts Paris (November 26-29), Art Cologne, and Cologne Fine Art & Design (November 18-22) have been canceled. Art Cologne director Daniel Hug announced a postponement to April 14-18, 2021.