Gagosian Opens Third Gallery in Paris With Alexander Calder Exhibit
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DRAGON’S DEN: Just in time for the FIAC art fair, Larry Gagosian has opened a third gallery in Paris near Place Vendôme, where he has installed a monumental red sculpture by Alexander Calder.
Located at 9 Rue de Castiglione, the new space is smaller than Gagosian’s original Paris gallery on Rue de Ponthieu and the second one near Le Bourget airport, opened in 2012, which is currently hosting an exhibition of Richard Serra sculptures.
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Part of the historic Hotel Lotti development, built in 1910, the latest addition was designed by Rémi Tessier and features elevated ceilings and 50-foot-long windows that provide a view of the interior from the historic arcades. As an added bonus, it’s located within walking distance of the Louvre and Jeu de Paume museums.
Serena Cattaneo Adorno, director of Gagosian’s Paris galleries, said the space provides more flexibility for artists. “Some exhibitions in large galleries require two years of planning,” she noted. “This allows an artist to present four, five works. It further energizes our presence here.”
It opens with an exhibition of Calder’s output from 1975, including a model for the large-scale “Flying Dragon” sculpture, which is scheduled to remain on display on Place Vendôme until Jan. 2. It runs concurrently with another exhibit of Calder’s works at the Rue de Ponthieu gallery.
“What is very rare here is that you have several works from 1975,” said Cattaneo Adorno, noting that Calder was hugely productive in his final year (he died in 1976), with projects that included painting airplanes and a BMW car, even as he was working on “Flying Dragon” and smaller, monochrome sculptures.
“You go from something that is less than an inch high to something that is 55 feet tall. That fascinates me, personally. You often see that artists become very productive in their later years. I don’t think he knew he was going to die, but this desire to leave a trace becomes very apparent,” she added.
“Flying Dragon,” which is part of the FIAC Hors les Murs exhibition of outdoor art works, is the third Calder sculpture in a public space in Paris, joining “Red Spider” in the business district of La Défense and “Spiral” at UNESCO.
Cattaneo Adorno said the Rue de Castiglione gallery would present three or four exhibitions a year, reflecting a change in pace in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to limit international travel. “Before, exhibitions would last six weeks. Now, all the galleries are putting on slightly longer shows,” she said.
Gagosian is one of the major international galleries taking part in FIAC, which is set to run from Oct. 21 to 24 at the temporary Grand Palais venue, after being canceled last year.
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