Across the Alps in Italy, modern and contemporary art dealers are penalized by an oppressive bureaucracy and a rigid tax system. But above all, they rail against the prejudices of the political class, which considers them a niche sector for the elite without recognizing their primordial cultural role.
Italy prides itself on being the "home of art". But this is an honor it cannot claim in terms of the global art market. France represents 7% of the global art market; the Peninsula not even 1%. This marginality can largely be explained by the size of transalpine galleries, which are often small or medium-sized and can hardly compete on the international scene. The Covid-19 pandemic hit an ecosystem that was already vulnerable. A third of galleries went into the red, and they all saw a drop in revenue and above all numbers, which have fallen by 36% over the last decade to 1,667. The outbreak of the coronavirus was thus a mortal danger. Many of these galleries had made most of their sales at fairs and were drastically behind in the use of new technologies. According to a study by the Associazione Nazionale Gallerie d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (ANGAMC), the survival of 45% of Italian galleries is threatened. 40% of them posted a decline in turnover of over 70% in 2020-2021; this was "only" 50% to 70% for 25% of dealers. "Many…
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