Berlin’s Galerie Mehdi Chouakri announced a temporary pause from exhibitions after nearly thirty years and around 250 shows. Owner Mehdi Chouakri cited personal reasons and the increasing demands of the traditional primary market model. The gallery will continue to represent its estates and living artists through collaborations, and may mount a new exhibition as soon as fall 2025. The pause follows a difficult year for galleries globally, with several high-profile closures and retrenchments.
This pause reflects broader pressures on mid-sized commercial galleries, where rising costs and slower collector decision-making are forcing dealers to reassess their business models. Chouakri’s decision to maintain his spaces for private presentations while seeking collaborative partnerships signals a shift away from the conventional exhibition schedule. The news adds to a growing list of gallery closures in 2025, underscoring the fragility of the traditional gallery system in a consolidating art market.