Hot on the heels of Gagosian‘s announcement that he wants to open in Hong Kong — a plan the megadealer has been talking about for years, without a specific site in mind — IN THE AIR hears that Pace Gallery owner Arne Glimcher is looking to do the same, and, according to sources in Shanghai, possibly also re-locate the gallery’s entire China operation from Beijing to Hong Kong. Glimcher has previously and repeatedly expressed frustration with oppressive import/export restrictions and high taxes in mainland China, where the gallery opened a spacious $20-million Richard Gluckman-designed space in 2008.
Pace PR head Andrea Glimcher confirmed that the gallery was indeed looking into options to venture into Hong Kong, and possibly Shanghai as well. However, she denied the gallery had plans to vacate its Beijing premises in the 798 District. “Beijing is our home base,” she said, adding that the gallery recently expanded its venue there from 22,000 to 25,000 square feet. The timing seems right for Pace to grow out its much-vaunted China operation given the expanding local market, dramatically visible in the ballooning recent auction tallies there as well as the strong early sales and high attendance by mainland Chinese collectors at today’s vernissage of the third Hong Kong Contemporary Art Fair (Art HK 10).
Were Pace to leave its current China location, gallery artist Tara Donovan might have to rebuild the lovingly crafted Lego replica of the Beijing space, which she presented to Pace president Marc Glimcher and his wife, Andrea, at last week’s Creative Time gala.
