By Vincent Noce: “One third of French art galleries could be forced to shut before the end of 2020, warns their trade association, the Comité professionnel des galeries d’art.

The finding is a result of a survey of the comittee’s 279 members—first survey of its kind on the impact of the pandemic on the sector, the survey received 168 responses. Total losses from March to June for the sample are likely to reach €184m, including partial or complete losses on investments for exhibitions and fairs as well as the decrease expected in sales, compared to the same period last year.

… French consultant in management Pierre Marin, who led the study, points to the fragility of a network which relies on small companies. Two thirds have less than two employees, four out of five represent less than 29 artists (meaning that in total the committee’s members support around 6,500 artists who will also be hit by the crisis).”

Source: The Art Newspaper