The Tamesis
A growing number of New York galleries will close on Friday, January 30, as part of a nationwide general strike to protest expanded actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in a rare show of political solidarity in the art world. The actions come amid global scrutiny over the use of deadly force against protesters and accusations that federal tactics are eroding constitutional rights, including protections for free speech and due process.
Industry heavyweights such as Pace, David Zwirner, Armin Reich, P.P.O.W., David Kordansky and Marian Goodman, as well as Ulterior, Hannah Traore and Hesse Flatow, are closing their U.S. locations. Small galleries such as the Institute of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles have formed alliances with businesses and cultural institutions such as the Institute of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles to oppose the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown policies, a hot-button issue in Minneapolis after the deadly shootings of Renee Nicole Goode and Alex Preti by federal agents.
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Scattered reports of federal overreach — including the detention of U.S. citizens and Native Americans, the banning of lawmakers and lawyers from ICE facilities, and a heated debate over the definition of domestic terrorism — have stoked nationwide outrage that is expected to take to the streets tomorrow in what could be one of the largest civilian mobilizations in modern U.S. history.
Scott Ogden of Shrine Gallery said the speed and scale of engagement in the generally apolitical art world underscored the crisis. “I haven’t seen the art industry and galleries come together so broadly in a long time,” Ogden noted.
“The extraordinary immediacy and momentum of participation reminds me of Day With(out) Art organized by Visual AIDs in ’89,” said Alexander Gray of Alexander Gray Associates in lower Manhattan. Gray was working at Vision Aids at the time. “This was before the internet, so it took a while a lot of “More coordination across the country,” Gray told CNN art news When Goode was killed, he and members of his team were in Minneapolis for Dyani White Hawk, who was having a solo show at the Walker Art Center.
“The energy of Minneapolis is palpable,” Gray said, noting that the recent surge in federal immigration has had a profound impact on local tribal communities. ICE detains registered Native Americans who have unique treaty protections and sovereignty, forcing some to shelter indoors. “That’s how dictatorships emerge – very quickly. But what’s encouraging is that unity emerges just as quickly.”
Also in Tribeca, James Cohan and Jane Lombard also announced plans to close on Friday. In Chelsea, the Gladstone Gallery and Galerie Lelong & Co. will also be closed that day. Mary Sabbatino, Vice President and Partner at Galerie Lelong & Co. art news: “We are proud to represent many artists who emphasize political engagement and activism in their work and believe in the power of non-violent protest. We feel it is important to join this act of solidarity.”
Carol Greene, founder of Greene Naftali art news” , “I am deeply inspired by the courage shown by people in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and across the country to protect their neighbors and the most vulnerable. If participating in this action can help us move our society closer to abolishing ICE, we must try.
The wave of solidarity has even spread across the Atlantic: Brigitte Mulholland’s Paris gallery of the same name is also closing its doors. “I am an American immigrant living in France. I grew up in New York and am proud to live in a melting pot. My ancestors fled there to escape famine, persecution and war,” Mulholland wrote on Instagram. “In solidarity, the gallery will be closed tomorrow and I will not be spending any money on American companies.”
According to reports, the following galleries will be closed on Friday 30 January in solidarity with the national strike. If your gallery or art institution is closing, please email [email protected] to be added.
Alexander Gray Associates
Armine Leitch
Andrew Kreps Gallery
Anonymous Gallery
Bridget Donahue
Brigitte Mulholland (Paris)
Kathy Kaplan
Charles Moffitt
chart
Christine Tierney
prompt art
Zwirner Gallery (New York and Los Angeles)
Dimin Gallery
Gagosian (New York and Los Angeles)
Lelong Gallery
Greene Naftali
half gallery
Hannah Traore
Hesse Fratto
Hoffman Donahue
James Cohan
Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery
Jane Lombard
Kordansky (New York and Los Angeles)
Kravitz Webby
Curry Manzutto, New York
Lehmann Maupin
Lulin Augustin
magenta plain
manage
Mendez Wood
Michael Werner
Nazarian/Cusio
Paula Cooper
Paula Cooper Gallery
P·P·O·W Gallery
Regeneration Project (Los Angeles)
Sean Kelly (New York)
Shrine Gallery
rotating gallery
Sikma Malloy Jenkins
empty circle
Tanya Bonacdar Gallery
Ufner and Liu
Gallery with ulterior motives
