Paris. It's no longer a dynamic, it's a real scramble.
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The second wave came in 2020, when the health crisis shook up the art market. Perrotin, Skarstedt, Mariane Ibrahim, Almine Rech, Nathalie Obadia, Cécile Fakhoury, Hauser & Wirth, and White Cube opened branches in the neighborhood, where new brands also chose to set up shop, such as Le Clézio gallery, which moved into 157 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré (*) at the end of 2024, on the outskirts of this rapidly growing hub. At the same time, the Marais seems to be losing its appeal. “A few years ago, American and Asian collectors were still strolling through its narrow streets. After Covid, they became scarce,” explains Sébastien Carvalho, director of the Mitterrand gallery, which retains its opulent premises on Rue du Temple. All gallery owners mention the difficulties of transportation in these narrow streets, now partly reserved for soft traffic, as foreign visitors accustomed to luxury hotels or with pied-à-terre on the Left Bank are reluctant to travel by bike or metro. “A Chinese collector visiting for two days isn't going to waste two hours traveling to and from the Marais when they can get to the intersection with Avenue Delcassé in five minutes, where their driver can park easily,” says Almine Rech, who has a space on Rue de Turenne and another on Avenue Matignon...