Megagallery Gagosian is closing its Britannia Street branch in London this summer. In operation for nineteen years, the gallery has hosted exhibitions including solo shows of works by Cecily Brown, Zeng Fanzhi, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Meleko Mokgosi, Takashi Murakami, Richard Serra and Rachel Whiteread. The 15,000 square foot space was Gagosian’s second London outpost, following the Heddon Street excavations, which it closed in 2005. Grosvenor Hill and Davies Street gallery branches will continue to operate.
No reason was given for the closure, which was first reported in the FinancialTimes. Over the past few years, galleries and arts-related institutions have trembled under the shadow of a then-looming Brexit. In 2018, the British Film Institute sidelined a planned $177 million National Film and Television Center that had taken a decade to build; two years later, Swedish photography center Fotografiska scrapped plans for a huge London gallery, billed as the world’s largest photography venue, as Covid-19 also compromised the landscape. International Gallery Marianne Goodman removed from the city in 2020, but rhythm gallerywho has taken over the space abandoned by Blain South when he ceased his activities completely – saw an opportunity there.
Along with announcing the closure, Gagosian revealed plans to launch Gagosian Open, which will see the gallery place artwork in public spaces across London. The move suggests the gallery is reducing its tax footprint but not its presence in the city, taking a more flexible approach to display and most likely following the cash, as it did in 2021 when it closed its front. – San Francisco post and turned his attention to its takeover of the Marciano Museum building in Los Angeles. Gagosian over the past year has recruited ten new artists, including Nan Goldin (although he did lose the Jeff Koons cash cow in 2021). Over the past three years, he has advertised galleries in Athens; Gstaad, Switzerland; And Paris.
