Art dealer Mariane Ibrahim, who recently moved her influential gallery to Chicago from Seattle, has joined a growing number of gallerists expanding to Paris with plans to further her focus on art from the African diaspora.
The new space, on Paris’s famous Avenue Matignon, will officially open in September with its first exhibition showcasing a group show of artists on the gallery’s roster. In the past, Ibrahim has offered a platform for artists of the African diaspora, including Ghanaian market star Amoako Boafo and British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor.
“The 8th arrondissement reminds us of our initial initiative to move to Chicago, where we felt like there was something new happening,” Ibrahim stated in an interview. “We are very lucky to be present for the beginning of a new resurrection of certain areas in Paris.”
Ibrahim began seriously pursuing the expansion of her gallery over the past six months. Her French citizenship helped to make it possible to move forward with the space.
The pandemic “almost facilitated the need to be in two places at one time,” she added. “Paris is becoming a city that is going to compete in the major art market, and we are eager to be a part of that.”
Ibrahim stated that Paris and Chicago spaces are opposites in many ways. The Chicago gallery is all on one level and spread out, while the Paris space spans three floors in a Haussmann building. “Being in two cultural spaces,” she says “will enrich the work and practice of our artists.”
