Berlin's renowned Mehdi Chouakri Gallery has announced a temporary cessation of its exhibition program. This strategic intermission, shared via an Instagram post to its substantial following and further clarified by gallerist Mehdi Chouakri in an email to ARTnews, marks a period of reflection after nearly three decades of active engagement in the art world. The move aims to allow for a thoughtful reassessment of the gallery's future direction and Chouakri's personal priorities.
The gallery's Instagram message articulated that after approximately 30 years and around 250 ambitious exhibitions across various Berlin locations, the moment has arrived to contemplate the optimal path forward. To facilitate this careful consideration, the gallery will be pausing its exhibitions. Chouakri personally elaborated that his decision is rooted in very personal reasons, noting that the traditional primary market model demands increasing amounts of time and energy, which he wishes to reallocate towards his personal life. He suggested that new exhibitions might resume as early as the upcoming fall season.
Despite this hiatus, Chouakri confirmed that the gallery has experienced robust sales in recent years, though he has observed a degree of hesitation and slower decision-making among collectors. He highlighted successful endeavors such as a nearly sold-out exhibition by Bernd Ribbeck at Rudolf Zwirner's Berlin residence and a well-received exhibition of Saâdane Afif's work at the Hamburger Bahnhof, which resulted in several sales and museum reservations. The gallery's commitment to the estates it represents, including those of Hans-Peter Feldmann, Charlotte Posenenske, and Peter Roehr, will persist, as will its engagement with the legacies of Martin Disler and Salvo. For its living artists, such as Philippe Decrauzat, Sylvie Fleury, Lothar Hempel, Mathieu Mercier, and Gerwald Rockenschaub, the gallery intends to foster constructive collaborations with trusted colleagues and friends. A new collaboration is reportedly finalized and set for an imminent announcement.
Chouakri also noted that he would continue to support various museum exhibitions featuring his artists, including John M Armleder at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Geneva, N. Dash at the Hill Art Foundation in New York, and Fredrik Værslev at Chicago’s Neubauer Collegium and the Oldenburger Kunstverein. The gallery's two Berlin locations, situated at 61 Fasanenstrasse and 60-72 Kopenhagener Strasse, will be maintained for private presentations in the interim. This pause follows a challenging year for art galleries in 2025, which saw several prominent dealers, including Tim Blum, Adam Lindemann, Clearing, and Claudia Altman-Siegel, close their operations or scale back, reflecting a broader trend of transition within the art market.
This temporary cessation of exhibitions by the Mehdi Chouakri Gallery reflects a broader strategic shift, allowing the gallerist to balance professional commitments with personal well-being. The gallery will continue its foundational work in artist representation and sales, preparing for a potential re-emergence with renewed focus. This move also highlights the evolving dynamics within the art world, where personal decisions increasingly influence gallery operations amidst changing market conditions and a period of industry re-evaluation.