April 20, 2021
The French and European flags at the entrance to the Elysée Palace. PHOTO BY ANDREA SAVORANI NERI/NURPHOTO VIA AP
In March, the Comité Professionnel des
Galeries d’Art, a trade association that comprises 310 French art dealers, sued
the French government for permission to reopen during the third lockdown, which
began on April 4. An administrative court has ruled that French galleries must
remain closed throughout the country’s third lockdown, even though auction
houses can stay open.
The French government was unmoved. On April
13, the Council of State dismissed the suit, saying in a statement that the
closure of the galleries was necessary in order to contain the spread of the
more contagious variants of coronavirus. In addition to auction houses,
hairdressers, bookstores, record shops, and confectioners, among other
businesses, are allowed to remain open during the lockdown, which is slated to
last four weeks from April 4.
Marion Papillon, president of the CGPA,
told AFP that she regretted the decision, saying, “The Council of State, while
having recognized the serious attack on fundamental freedoms, does nothing
about it.” She denounced that the Ministry of Health allowed the continued
operation of auction houses as an “unfair” and “intolerable” source of
competition for the galleries. Their complaint also said that buying art online—a so-called
“click and collect” model—was not a practical business model because a work of
art is unique and collectors need to see it in person before deciding to
acquire it.
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Marion Papillon, president of the Comité Professionnel des Galeries d’Art . Photo Olivier Marty and Marion Papillon
Auction houses aren’t the only businesses
exempt from lockdown restrictions. The government has also made exceptions for
bookshops, record stores, hairdressers, and chocolate shops, among others.
According to The Art Newspaper, roughly 33
percent of CPGA members saw a 50 percent decline in income over the past year,
with 80 percent of French galleries reporting loss of business. France, where
museums, bars, and restaurants have been closed since October, has the
eighth-highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in the world, and has
recently seen a rise in Covid-19-related fatalities, registering 300 such
deaths in a twenty-four hour span on April 14.
The Arc de Triomphe in Paris. CHRISTIAN B'HMER/PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA/AP IMAGES
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