Hauser & Wirth Announces Plans for Its First Italian Gallery
Housed inside a neo-Gothic palace.
Summary
- Swiss mega-gallery Hauser & Wirth will open its 18th outpost in Palermo, Sicily
- The upcoming gallery will be staged within the historic Palazzo Forcella De Seta, a prominent arts venue for the city
Hauser & Wirth has announced plans for its Mediterranean expansion with a new gallery in Palermo, Sicily. The 18th location by the art powerhouse, the upcoming gallery also marks its first permanent foray into Italy.
The new gallery will take shape inside the storied Palazzo Forcella De Seta, the neo-Gothic landmark perched on Palermo’s waterfront. Built in the mid-19th century for the Marquis Forcella, the palace has played home Galleria Mediterranea, the city’s first private art gallery, from 1937 to 1940, a 1950s “gambling den” and the Administrative Justice Council. More recently, it served as a venue for the Manifesta 12 biennial in 2018.
Hauser & Wirth president Iwan Wirth confirmed the acquisition last week, calling the project both an artistic and architectural commitment. “It is an honor and a privilege to have this opportunity to restore a site of such profound significance and beauty,” he said, adding that the gallery aims to build “a new arts destination in a place renowned for cultural exchange throughout the centuries.”
According to early details, approximately 21,000 square feet of the building were placed on the market, including the main floor — soon to become a primary exhibition space — along with two wings and a separate structure earmarked for offices.
While full programming and renovation plans have yet to be announced, the Palermo project builds on the contemporary mega-gallery’s development of historic cultural cites, following initiatives in Somerset, England, Menorca, Span and downtown Los Angeles.
