french art galleries struggle amid wavering art market survey reveals

A survey by market researcher Iddem, conducted among the Professional Committee of Art Galleries (CPGA), reveals that 85% of French gallery owners are pessimistic about the art sector's economic outlook in 2025. Turnover among French galleries dropped 6% in 2024, while the global art market fell 12% per the UBS Art Basel 2025 report. Philippe Charpentier, new CPGA president, told Le Monde the market has regressed to 2010 levels, with one-fifth of dealers reporting sales declines of over 20%. France also struggles to attract young collectors, unlike Asian markets where buyers average in their thirties, according to CPGA vice president Magda Danysz.

PROJECT LOOP a new POC and queer-owned gallery & open-studio opens.

PROJECT LOOP, a new POC and queer-owned gallery and open-studio residency space, opens in Hoxton, London on April 26, 2025. The inaugural exhibition features works by Emmanuel Awuni and Fungai Benhura, and Ruby Dickson will initiate the artist-in-residence programme. The space is co-directed by Alïn-Sitoé Diallo and aims to challenge traditional gallery models by integrating a live-in residency with an exhibition space.

Her great-uncle was Jackson Pollock. Now, her fledgling gallery, Argo Fine Arts, is the talk of Paris

Samantha McCoy, the grand-niece of Jackson Pollock, has launched Argo Fine Arts, a new gallery model operating between Paris and New York. Making its high-profile debut at the 28th edition of Art Paris in the Grand Palais, the gallery is garnering attention for its impressive inventory, which includes works by Jackson Pollock, Cy Twombly, and Charles Pollock. McCoy has opted for an "ephemeral" gallery model that prioritizes artists and clients over permanent real estate, reflecting a strategic response to the current economic pressures facing traditional brick-and-mortar galleries.

Amoako Boafo Brings Accra to LA in ‘I Bring Home with Me’

Amoako Boafo's third solo exhibition with Roberts Projects, titled 'I Bring Home with Me,' opens January 17 in Los Angeles. The show recreates the artist's Accra, Ghana studio within the gallery through an architectural collaboration with designer Glenn DeRoche, featuring vibrant wallpaper, grid windows, and light-filled passages. Boafo presents new portraits using his signature fingertip painting technique, integrated into the studio structure and a folding wooden sculpture inspired by the Adinkra symbol nkyinkyim.

A former director at Lower Manhattan galleries goes it alone Uptown

Christiana Ine-Kimba Boyle, a former director at Lehmann Maupin, Canada, and Pace, has launched Gladwell Projects, a nomadic gallery with a staff of one. The gallery's second show, "The Spirituality of Color," opens October 3 in a Harlem townhouse, featuring works by Sam Gillam, Kylie Manning, and others. Its first show, "The Metroplex," was held in collector Christie Williams's Dallas home during the Dallas Art Fair, resulting in acquisitions by the Dallas Art Museum. Ine-Kimba Boyle aims to present blue-chip rigor at a smaller, community-focused scale, part of a "Domestic Interventions" series in private homes.

‘Slowing the process down’: how a bohemian Somerset art gallery is forging its own path

Close gallery, founded in 2009 by curator and art advisor Freeny Yianni in the grounds of her 17th-century home near Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset, is expanding its operations. Yianni, who previously worked at Lisson Gallery and helped Grenville Davey win the Turner Prize, recently hired sales director Richard Scarry, formerly of Coates and Scarry in Bristol. The gallery's current exhibition features previously unseen works by British abstract artist Jane Harris (1956–2022), shown both in Somerset and at a new London project space in Marylebone. Upcoming plans include presenting a monumental sculpture by Simon Hitchens at Frieze Sculpture in Regent's Park.

Amid tariff and economic struggles, the newly rebranded Beijing Art Season persevered

Beijing's art week, rebranded as the Beijing Art Season, ran from 22 May to 1 June, featuring three concurrent events: Art021 Beijing (formerly JingArt) at a new venue in the 798 Art District, Gallery Weekend Beijing (GWBJ), and the fair Beijing Dangdai. The 798 gallery complex merged with the adjacent 751 complex, becoming the 798 751 Art District. GWBJ scaled back this year, suspending its curated selling exhibition and international visiting sector, instead hosting only one pop-up gallery. Organizers cited economic struggles and tariffs as challenges, with gallerists reporting slower sales and cancelled US orders due to new tariffs.

The international gallery bridging contemporary artists and art history masters reopens in Milan: The Interview

Riapre a Milano la galleria internazionale che mette in dialogo artisti contemporanei e maestri della storia dell’arte. L’intervista

The artist-run space Octagon is set to establish a permanent home in Milan at Via Maroncelli 12, officially opening on April 15, 2026, during the city's Art Week. Founded by artist Jacopo Mazzetti in 2018, the gallery is transitioning from a nomadic model that saw recent collaborations in Paris and Athens to a fixed physical presence. The inaugural exhibition will feature works by the French Symbolist master Odilon Redon, maintaining the space's signature curatorial approach of bridging historical art with contemporary perspectives.

artist yanran chen on her neon dreamland

Yanran Chen (b. 2005) is presenting her first major solo exhibition in China, titled "Neon Dreamland," at Art Focus, a new immersive art space by Tang Contemporary Art in Beijing. The show, curated by actor and digital art platform founder Yuan Hong, runs through July 6, 2025, and features paintings, sculptures, and collaborative projects including a partnership with animation label WaarWorld inspired by Liu Cixin's sci-fi novel *Supernova Era* (2003). Highlights include the debut of the "Players Series" collectible sculptures in China.

Continue the Frieze London buzz: these are the best new gallery openings in the UK to visit now

The article highlights five new or relocated gallery openings across the UK, from London to rural Wiltshire, that are generating buzz alongside the Frieze London art fair. These include Brink in Notting Hill, which pairs architecture with art in a former temperance hall; Huxley-Parlour's new rural outpost in the North Wessex Downs; Monument, an archival objects gallery expanding in Leyton; 3812 Gallery relocating to The Whiteley in Queensway with a focus on Chinese contemporary art; and Cobogó Gallery's first physical London space in Chelsea Harbour, specializing in Brazilian design.

The Slow Death of the Contemporary Art Gallery

The article reports on the decline of the traditional contemporary art gallery model, driven by rising rents, changing collector behavior, and the rise of new artist categories. Tim Blum closed his Blum & Poe galleries in Los Angeles and Tokyo, citing systemic issues rather than market conditions. Art Basel and UBS data show the art market shrank overall but the number of sales increased, indicating a shift toward mid-priced works. Collectors are moving away from "blue-chip" artists toward "red-chip" artists who gain value through viral hype and cultural relevance, exemplified by Olaolu Slawn's accessible solo show at Saatchi Yates. Celebrities like actor Adrien Brody are also entering the market, though his work has been criticized as derivative. Meanwhile, smaller galleries like Tiwa Gallery, Landdd, and Marta are thriving by focusing on genuine connection, and retail spaces like Gentle Monster and Dover Street Market are blending art with commerce.

Gallery lures collectors to Spain’s abandoned region with large-scale sculpture trail

The Albarrán Bourdais gallery, founded by Eva Albarrán and Christian Bourdais, is launching a large-scale sculpture trail on June 15 in the remote Matarraña region of eastern Spain. The trail winds through 5km of vineyards and hills, featuring 20 installations by artists including Mona Hatoum, José Dávila, and Christian Boltanski. This is part of their broader Solo Houses project, which began in 2010 with avant-garde architect homes and now includes a retreat for collectors, a winery, and plans for a hotel designed by Smiljan Radic set to open by 2028.

New Manhattan gallery slips into historic property

Slip House, a new Manhattan gallery co-founded by Ingrid Lundgren and Marissa Dembkoski, has opened in a historic carriage house on East 5th Street. Its inaugural group exhibition, "As if a line" (9 May–14 June), features a cross-generational lineup of painters including Jack Whitten, Claude Viallat, and emerging talents like Lizzy Gabay and Alix Vernet. The show was organized with former Sprüth Magers director Jessica Draper, and the space also includes lamps by ceramicist Gordon Moore on consignment. The building, built in the 1880s, once belonged to fashion designer and artist Charles Kritsky, who allegedly had Jean-Michel Basquiat contribute to its penny mosaic facade.

Oshorenoya David Francis Explores Identity in Solitude, Fantasies & Becoming at 1853 Studios, Manchester

Oshorenoya David Francis presents a solo exhibition titled *In Solitude, Fantasies & Becoming* at 1853 Studios in Manchester, running from 15 to 17 May 2026. Co-curated by Obi Nwaegbe and Natasha Virli, the show features new acrylic paintings on canvas and paper that explore themes of solitude, identity, and emotional transformation through expressive figurative compositions. Key works include *Hug*, *Thoughts in Blue*, *Chapters in Atomic Habits*, and *Thy Wish*, each employing bold color, intimate perspectives, and narrative ambiguity to evoke psychological depth.

Savannah artists finding big ways in small places to stage exhibitions

Savannah artists are creating new exhibition spaces in small, unconventional venues to counter the city's lack of affordable studio and gallery space. Following the closure of several local galleries, nonprofit Arts Southeast has been fostering resilience, with new spaces like Cute Tomatoes Gallery, Pocket Space (hosted by Norwood Gallery), and Camaleon opening in 2025. These artist-run initiatives feature rotating shows, including a group exhibition of 19 female artists at Norwood Gallery and a multidisciplinary venue at Camaleon directed by SCAD graduate Alex Mendi.

From street art to sculpture parks: how Dubai is becoming an open-air gallery

Dubai has transformed into an open-air gallery through initiatives by Brand Dubai, Dubai Culture, and government entities, fulfilling a 2018 vision by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The city now features murals, sculptures, and street art in neighborhoods like Karama and Satwa, alongside dedicated art zones such as Alserkal Avenue and Dubai Design District. Art festivals including Art Dubai, Sikka Art & Design Festival, Quoz Arts Fest, Dubai Design Week, and the newly launched Bluewaters Art Festival further enrich the public art landscape, making visual art accessible without tickets.

Fine Artist Vanessa Johansson's Debut Solo Exhibition

Fine artist Vanessa Johansson is presenting her debut solo exhibition in the Sky Garden Penthouse of Gramercy’s 200E20TH in New York City. The show features atmospheric acrylic abstract paintings, displayed in a residential setting that complements CetraRuddy’s contemporary architecture. Johansson, who studied at the Art Students League, will next participate in the group exhibition “Women and Abstraction” at Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris.

An English Countryside Home That Became Lovelier the More It Fell Apart

The article profiles the unique aesthetic and historical significance of Kettle's Yard, a house in Cambridge, England, created by Jim Ede. Ede, a former Tate curator, transformed a series of dilapidated cottages into a living work of art and a haven for modern artists in the mid-20th century. He filled the space with a carefully arranged collection of modern art, natural objects, and furniture, embracing the building's worn, imperfect character rather than restoring it to pristine condition.

Going clubbing in Ibiza this summer? Then you're going to be in a giant art gallery

A new art exhibition called the Culture Collective has been installed across three of Ibiza's biggest nightclubs—Hï Ibiza, Ushuaïa Ibiza, and [UNVRS]—featuring over 70 international artists. The season-long show, organized by London-based art platform W1 Curates in partnership with The Night League, includes monumental murals, marble sculptures (such as Nazareno Biondo's life-size Vespa and Fiat 500), and works by street artists like PichiAvo and VHILS, running from late April to mid-October.

Sonia Borrell's new StudioToGallery finds 9 in 10 independent artists say connections outweigh talent

Sonia Borrell has launched StudioToGallery, a new platform designed to bridge the gap between independent artists and the commercial art market. A survey conducted by the initiative revealed a striking consensus among creators, with 90% of independent artists stating that professional networking and industry connections are more influential to career success than raw artistic talent.

Influential New York gallery Venus Over Manhattan will close after 13 years

Prominent collector and dealer Adam Lindemann is closing Venus Over Manhattan, the New York gallery he founded in 2012, after 13 years. The gallery's final exhibition, Susumu Kamijo's 'Fish & Flowers,' opened in June and will close on July 17. Lindemann announced the closure in an open letter published on Artnet, citing a desire to return to building his personal art collection and describing the difficulties of navigating the art world as both a dealer and collector.

A Photographer of Newark’s People Gets a Show Among the People

Manuel Acevedo, a photographer known for documenting the people of Newark, New Jersey, is having his works displayed across the city in highly visible outdoor locations. The exhibition places his portraits directly in the neighborhoods and public spaces where his subjects live and work, making the art accessible to the very community that inspired it.

Slawn Releases ‘Not An Artist’ Album After Live Studio Exhibition at Saatchi Yates

London-based artist Slawn has released a collaborative album titled 'Not An Artist' following a month-long residency at Saatchi Yates gallery. From January to February, the gallery was transformed into a live studio environment where Slawn created paintings and recorded music simultaneously. The project featured a wide array of musical collaborators, including Unknown T and Blackhaine, and was executive produced by Arthur Bean.

New York’s Market Gallery evolves from Chinatown apartment to Soho pop-up

Market Gallery, founded by Adam Zhu, has been hosting intimate solo shows from a storage shed on his Chinatown apartment balcony for the past eight months. On July 17, the gallery opened its first group exhibition, "Revolve," in a pop-up space at 51 Mercer Street in Soho, formerly home to Virgil Abloh's Em Pty Gallery. The show, organized by Zhu and his friends Jack Irv and Andrew Kass, features works by emerging and established artists including Lorenzo Amos, Amanda Ba, Maggie Lee, Rene Ricard, and Mike Kelley, and runs until August 10.

francis gallery rosa park casa francis

Rosa Park, founder of Francis Gallery, has opened Casa Francis, a new exhibition space in her former family home in Los Angeles. The inaugural show, “Have You Eaten Today?,” features nine Korean and LA-based artists exploring themes of care and sustenance, with artworks displayed alongside home objects like silk floor cushions and ceramics. The space operates by appointment only and enforces a strict no-social-media policy, emphasizing an intimate, offline viewing experience.

In Florence, Art Creates Community and Dialogue in the Bagasseria Space: An Interview with its Founder

A Firenze l’arte crea comunità e confronto nello spazio Bagasseria. Intervista al suo fondatore

Painter Samuele Alfani has launched Bagasseria, a new independent art space and studio in the Sant’Ambrogio district of Florence. Named after the Catalan word for a house of prostitution as a gesture of reclamation and freedom, the venue functions as a porous community hub that blends artistic production with public engagement. Its inaugural exhibition, "Bau Bau Baby," is a group show curated by Luigi Presicce and Anna Capolupo featuring artists such as Francesco Lauretta, Davide Serpetti, and Thomas Berra.

A New Generation of Gallerists Is Redefining Artist Representation

A new generation of gallerists is rethinking traditional artist representation models, moving away from rigid exclusivity clauses and transactional relationships. Figures like Bryce Watanasoponwong of The Charoen AArt in Bangkok, Storm Ascher of Superposition, and Lorraine Han of Unveil Gallery are adopting flexible, collaborative approaches that reflect the realities of contemporary artists, who often juggle multiple roles and prefer non-exclusive arrangements. These gallerists emphasize open dialogue, shared responsibility, and long-term relationship-building over strict contracts, as seen in Ascher's seven-year support of artist Haleigh Nickerson, which culminated in a solo show at NADA New York 2025.

Yellow Dog Art Bar and Gallery hosts artists, events in Denton

John Bramblitt, a Dallas native and Denton-based artist who lost his eyesight about 20 years ago while studying at the University of North Texas, opened Yellow Dog Art Bar and Gallery in mid-2023. The venue combines a bar with a gallery space, exhibiting and selling work from local artists, hosting open mic nights for live music and poetry, painting workshops, bad movie screenings, trivia, and karaoke. Bramblitt, who continued painting after losing his sight from complications with epilepsy and Lyme disease, also travels for speaking engagements, teaches painting to the visually impaired, and consults museums on accessibility. The gallery's name is partly inspired by the Blue Dog gallery in New Orleans and by Bramblitt's service dog, a yellow Labrador named Zuke.

AKKA Venice Project: Beyond the Exhibition

Lidija Khachatourian, founder of AKKA Project, discusses her gallery's evolution from Dubai to Venice, where it remains the only gallery dedicated to African and diasporic artists. In an interview with ART AFRICA, she explains her shift from a market-driven model toward a research-led, custodial approach that prioritizes long-term relationships and slowness over high-volume programming. The gallery, established in Venice in 2019, operates with a deliberate resistance to market pressures, focusing on care, continuity, and direct material support for its artists.

Beyond the white walls

The creative initiative Roadside, founded by artist Ali Arshad, is challenging the traditional gallery model in Pakistan by hosting pop-up exhibitions in unconventional public spaces. Their latest show, "Anighst Preeminent Prosaics," transformed Iqbal House, a pre-partition bungalow in Lahore, into a multi-sensory art experience featuring 14 artists. By placing works in sites ranging from barber shops to parking lots, the initiative seeks to dismantle the elitist barriers of the "white cube" and engage a broader demographic, including the working class and Gen Z.