The London-Based White Cube Gallery Is Expanding to Paris (and It Supposedly Has Nothing to Do With Brexit)

The London-based contemporary art gallery White Cube, which has
two locations in the British capital, is opening a space in
Paris on the Avenue Matignon.

Despite all the jitters about the economic impact of the
impending Brexit, which is scheduled to take place with or without
a deal with the European Union on October 31, the gallery’s senior
director, Mathieu Paris, insists the move is “absolutely not due to
the political situation.”

He added that the gallery has been interested in establishing a
presence in Paris for the past several years. “And the main focus
was just finding the right place,” he told artnet News.

“It’s more than an office. The main idea is to show great
masterpieces in a prestigious area of the city. We want to continue
the Paris tradition of the marchand d’art,” or art dealer,
he said.

“Paris since the 1940s has been an important place for art, and
in the last few years, we have been in the midst of a Paris
renaissance, in terms of museums, in terms of private
foundations.”

White Cube, which also has a Hong Kong location, is not the only
major contemporary art gallery to open a space in the City of
Light.

This past summer, mega-dealer David Zwirner announced plans to
open a gallery in the Marais district this fall. The Zwirner
opening will coincide with this year’s edition of French
contemporary art fair FIAC, on October 16, with an inaugural show
of work by American artist Raymond Pettibon.

In an interview with the Financial
Times, Zwirner, who is German, admitted that the decision
was prompted by Brexit concerns, telling the paper: “Brexit changes
the game. After October, my London gallery will be a British
gallery, not a European one. I am European, and I would like a
European gallery, too.”

The post The London-Based White Cube Gallery Is Expanding to
Paris (and It Supposedly Has Nothing to Do With Brexit)
appeared first on artnet News.