On Saturday, June 19th, Hauser and Wirth will open a new private gallery space in Cote d’Azur, Monaco, one of the wealthiest enclaves in the world; this move is in keeping with a wider-spread trend among galleries of launching intimate satellite spaces that cater specifically to rarified havens for the one percent, rather than focusing all their energies and attentions on major metropolitan areas. The Hauser and Wirth location will kick things off authoritatively with a Louise Bourgeois solo show entitled “Maladie de l’Amour;” one of the artist’s signature arachnids will be poised in a garden adjacent to the gallery, like a planted flag authenticating the gallery’s significance.
As the pandemic starts to deescalate within the United States and the general public begins to unwind, it’s also becoming more and more seasonly appropriate for new spaces to open and for people to feel comfortable milling around within them. Dia Chelsea reopened to the public in April after a 2 year renovation process, introducing a cavernous new space to the neighborhood with accommodating free admission to match, and Almine Rech recently joined a gaggle of galleries opening up pop-up spaces in Aspen, Colorado. Almine Rech founder Almine Ruiz-Picasso stated: “We go to where the collectors have relocated during the pandemic.”
Hauser and Wirth also isn’t the only art heavy-hitter with its eyes on Monaco. Christie’s is organizing an exhibition in Monte-Carlo that will run from July 3rd to the 18th. “When we were invited to play a part in the continuing revival of the art scene in Monaco we saw that it offered an exceptional opportunity to present our artists in the heart of the city, engaging with the vibrant contemporary scene across the south of France and strengthening our European presence,” Iwan Wirth, the president of the gallery, said in a statement.
