Marian Goodman Gallery will pause operations at its Los Angeles outpost after two and a half years at the conclusion of its current solo show for Tacita Dean on April 25. In a statement sent to ARTnews, the gallery’s four partners, Rose Lord, Junette Teng, Emily-Jane Kirwan and Leslie Nolen, said, “The Partners of Marian Goodman Gallery are consolidating programming to our historic homes in New York and Paris. Our programming will continue to be anchored in these two global art capitals, advancing the transatlantic dialogue between the United States and Europe that has been foundational to our gallery since its inception in 1977.” The gallery avoided saying that it would definitely cease operations in LA, stating instead that the partners would “evaluate the next phase for the space” and “maintain our presence in Los Angeles and in cities internationally through special projects, art fairs, and museum exhibitions in support of our artists and clients.” Marian Goodman is the latest blue-chip gallery to close one of its outposts in the past year, with London-based Timothy Taylor closing in New York in March and New York–based Tanya Bonakdar closing in LA last August.
Other LA galleries, like Blum and L.A. Louver, also announced their complete closures last year. Many of these closures have been attributed to an uncertain art market whose volatility is still being debated.
In a follow-up email to ARTnews, Lord and Teng, the gallery’s two managing partners, said that Marian Goodman Gallery was not immune to market forces, much like its colleagues. “While this was not an easy decision to make, it was a strategic one. We are facing the same conditions as every gallery.
The ongoing market volatility has forced many galleries to take a hard look at how they allocate their resources,” they wrote. Marian Goodman Gallery opened its LA outpost in a former Hollywood warehouse in September 2023 with an exhibition for Steve McQueen. The gallery had 5,000 square feet of exhibition space, viewing rooms, office space, and a landscaped garden in the back.
Other exhibitions at the LA gallery have been for Tavares Strachan, Anri Sala, Bruce Nauman, Leonor Antunes, and a group exhibition titled “Casting a Glance: Dancing with Smithson,” curated by Lisa Le Feuvre. In their email, Lord and Teng added, “The Gallery has a long history with the city’s artists and institutions. We are proud of our contributions to LA’s art ecology over the past few years and we plan to remain active in LA through fairs, special projects, and institutional partnerships.”