For Its First Show Post-Lockdown, Perrotin Is Opening Up Its Paris Gallery to Two-Dozen Local Dealers in a Show of Solidarity

The gallery's "Stay United" initiative will run through August.

Emmanuel Perrotin. Photograph by Guillaume Ziccarelli, Courtesy Perrotin.

As the global lockdown drags on into May, galleries have been finding creative ways to support one another through these challenging times. Emmanuel Perrotin is the latest gallerist to make a show of solidarity with his fellow dealers by staging a gallery exchange at one of his Paris galleries when it reopens on May 23.

For the initiative, called “Reston Unis,” or “Stay United,” Perrotin has invited 26 Paris galleries to participate. Working in groups of six or seven at a time, each gallery will present a selection of work from their artists for two weeks at a time. There will be four rotations in all, running through August 14.

The idea was “born out of a simple desire to see art in person, and to celebrate that experience collectively with other galleries,” Perrotin told Artnet News in an email. “We can acknowledge that the last few months have been bleak for everyone, and as we grapple with our future, it’s important to focus on solidarity and positivity. We are not in this alone.”

Galleries do not pay a fee to participate and Perrotin will not receive a cut of the sales.

Perrotin will institute a range of safety measures at the gallery. Doors will remain open in order to reduce the use of handles, all countertops will be fitted with a plexiglass screen, and checklists will be accessible via QR code. “We will carefully manage the flow of gallery visitors, all entrants will be asked to wear a mask, and we will forego opening events,” a representative for the gallery told Artnet News.

“With most of our museums and fairs closed, we believe it’s important to fill that void,” according to a statement from the gallery. “Although it may not rectify the larger systemic issues of our industry, it does underline the importance of what we accomplish on a daily basis. Online viewing rooms will never replace exhibitions. However, these presentations will also be sent to all our contacts digitally.”

See the gallery groupings and dates here.


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