Some Art Galleries Are Collaborating in a Bid to Be More Competitive

Over the past year, galleries have increasingly turned to shared spaces and collaborative strategies to weather the market downturn and rising rental costs, particularly in major cultural hubs. Beyond sheer necessity, this shift has also opened doors for more dynamic approaches to curation and exhibition production. While the pandemic first accelerated online community-sharing models—think shared viewing rooms and initiatives like Platform by David Zwirner—many galleries are now integrating these principles into their daily business, embracing flexibility as a way to navigate the current challenges of the global art market.

Today (Feb. 27), two small Manhattan galleries founded by Latino American women —PROXYCO and Instituto de Visión—are launching a shared space at 88 Eldridge Street on the Lower East Side, with a joint opening that underscores a growing trend of resource pooling and collaboration. According to both galleries, the partnership developed organically between like-minded Latin American-born dealers who have long respected each other’s programs and saw an opportunity to amplify the voices of the artists they represent by working together. “We believe we can build a stronger awareness of contemporary artists from Latin America when we work together than when we operated in separate spaces,” Alexandra Morris and Laura Saenz, co-directors and co-founders of PROXYCO, told Observer ahead of the opening.

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Following a renovation led by New York-based multidisciplinary design practice Morris Adjmi Architects, the building’s fifth floor now houses two distinct exhibition galleries, which PROXYCO and Instituto de Visión will use in tandem, allocating space on a rotating basis to best serve their artists’ evolving needs. “This collaborative arrangement has introduced a new flexibility to how we present the works of our artists,” the PROXYCO co-founders explained. “Rather than being consistently locked into one gallery size and format, for each exhibition cycle, we will determine which space each gallery shows in through consultation with our artists. We are excited that this arrangement lessens the overall pressure, allowing the space to serve the artists rather than demanding the artists serve the space.”

“We are thrilled to be welcoming PROXYCO to 88 Eldridge Street and to launch our collaborative home for contemporary artists from Latin America here in New York,” Beatriz Lopez and Omayra Alvarado-Jensen, co-founders of Instituto de Visión, told Observer. The gallery had already been in the building prior to this partnership, making the move a natural expansion. “By unifying our physical operations, we will expand each of our gallery’s networks.”

Originally from Bogotá, Instituto de Visión has been also in New York since 2022 but has swiftly built a broad network of collectors and a global reputation, participating in international fairs and working with artists now exhibiting in major institutions across the U.S. and abroad. “We’re particularly proud of the strong ties we have developed with institutional leaders and curators from around the world,” the co-founders said. “Now, by collaborating on our physical footprints in the city, our galleries and our artists will benefit from the expansion and reinforcement of our creative communities.”

Though maintaining distinct identities, the two galleries’ inaugural exhibitions already demonstrate how their programs complement each other, creating unexpected resonances. PROXYCO presents the performance-based photography of New York-based Colombian artist Camilo Godoy, while Instituto de Visión showcases the paintings, drawings and media sculptures of Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez, a Colombian-born interdisciplinary artist now based in Nebraska.

This is far from the only example of collaboration reshaping the city’s gallery scene. Just last month, JDJ, Deanna Evans Projects and the newly founded Chozick Family Art Gallery—launched by Rebecca Chozick, a former director at Rachel Uffner—announced their own partnership, opening a shared space on the second floor of 370 Broadway in Tribeca. The idea originated with JDJ’s founder, Jayne Johnson, who sees creative thinking and collaboration as essential to the industry’s future. In this case, however, the three galleries will take turns occupying the main exhibition space on a rotating monthly basis while sharing offices, operations and a private viewing room.

Beyond the immediate financial advantages of splitting rent—especially as costs continue to climb—this model also allows for operational efficiencies. By consolidating expenses such as shipping, storage and logistics, the three galleries can better allocate resources, whether for exhibitions in New York or participation in international fairs. “One of many advantages of sharing a gallery is, of course, the shared financial aspects as rent continues to rise in the city,” Rebekah Chozick, director and founder of Chozick Family Art Gallery, told Observer. “However, something I’m most excited about is sharing space with trusted colleagues as collaborators and sounding boards, to discuss experiences and bounce ideas off of, in addition to broadening each others’ communities through the nature of the shared space.”

On March 7, Chozick will open a group exhibition designed to introduce her community and roster of artists while also featuring work from JDJ and Deanna Evans Projects. This show marks the start of a broader collaborative effort, with additional projects and art fair appearances planned throughout the year—expanding not just the reach of all three galleries but also extending their impact beyond the constraints of a single physical location.

“So far, it’s been a success in many aspects: we’ve all been able to get to know each other’s community and make new contacts, especially through a shared viewing room, which is used by whichever gallery doesn’t have an exhibition up in the main space,” Chozick told Observer. “It gives each gallery more visibility as people come through, so the presence of all three of us is felt.”

Sharing spaces, fair booths and artists as part of long-term strategy

Shared booths at fairs are becoming increasingly popular, particularly for younger galleries participating in major events such as Art Basel or Frieze. In this model, galleries split booth, shipping and art handling costs while sharing the risk and increasing the possibility of sales by inviting both client bases to their dual presentation.

New collaborative art fair models, such as Condo London and Art Collaboration Kyoto, have emerged in response to this growing trend. In the former, local dealers host foreign galleries, inviting them either to share or take over their space—often with the expectation of a reciprocal arrangement—creating a citywide event that fosters international connections and opportunities for both the local scene and visiting exhibitors. Art Collaboration Kyoto, meanwhile, brings this model inside the fair itself, with Japanese galleries sharing their booths with international galleries they’ve invited to collaborate. These partnerships frequently lead to shared artist representation, not only facilitating the global circulation of an artist’s work but also establishing a more strategic, long-term approach to their career. By coordinating exhibition schedules and fair appearances across multiple regions, galleries can provide artists with sustained international visibility.

Even at the highest levels of the market, shared representation has become increasingly common. Just last week at Frieze Los Angeles, Hauser & Wirth partnered with Company Gallery to present the work of fast-rising Canadian painter Ambera Wellmann in a joint booth as part of their Collective Impact Initiative. The program introduces a new model in which mega-galleries collaborate with smaller dealers to jointly represent artists, pooling resources and networks to support career development while promoting greater transparency and shared decision-making across all parties involved. “It is such a great pleasure to work closely with Sophie Mörner and her team at Company, developing a relationship where the sharing of knowledge, resources and mutual support can suggest a new model for cooperation across the wider gallery field,” Marc Payot, Hauser & Wirth’s president, told Observer. By the end of the fair, the collaboration had paid off—both galleries reported a full sellout, with works priced between $150,000 and $210,000.

While the gallery originally launched (and branded) the initiative by announcing the joint representation of Uman with Nicola Vassell, partnerships between smaller and larger galleries are hardly unusual. Rising artists frequently choose to remain loyal to their first dealers, continuing to work with them even as they sign with blue-chip powerhouses.

For instance, superstar abstractionist Jadé Fadojutimi is still represented by one of her original galleries, Gisela Capitain, alongside Gagosian, while Andra Ursuța is jointly represented by Ramiken and David Zwirner—just two examples among many. In most cases, representation follows a geographical structure, with one dealer handling Europe, another overseeing Asia, and another managing the U.S., each prioritizing sales within their designated region. Hauser & Wirth, however, has embraced a more integrated model, treating the galleries involved as a single team. This approach acknowledges the foundational role that smaller galleries often play in fostering young talent, ensuring that early supporters remain active participants in an artist’s career. Under this agreement, financial splits are also structured equitably, with 50 percent of sales going to the artist and 25 percent to each gallery. “It has been such a wonderful experience to partner with Hauser & Wirth under this innovative model and for Ambera to have two galleries at different points in their trajectories working in harmony to support her and her work,” Sophie Mörner, founder of Company Gallery, told Observer.

Meanwhile, last month, Pace Gallery announced a collaboration with Galerie Judin for a new Berlin location, with a shared exhibition space set to launch during Berlin Art Weekend in April. Unlike some recent joint ventures, this partnership builds on an existing relationship—the galleries already share representation of Romanian artist Adrian Ghenie. Under this agreement, Galerie Judin will program three exhibitions per year, while Pace will organize two, alternating in rotation. “The power lies with the artists, in the end, and they want this kind of collaboration. Working with each other and not against each other is so much better and costs so much less energy,” said Laura Attanasio, a former director at König Galerie who joined Pace in 2023 to oversee its Berlin expansion, in an interview with Artnet.

During the most recent art week in Mexico City, leading Mexican gallery OMR debuted a new space, Bodega—a collaborative initiative with Agustina Ferreyra housed in the gallery’s storage facility. Ferreyra, a Puerto Rican dealer, was already operating her CDMX space in partnership with Los Angeles-based gallery Common Wealth and Council. This type of shared approach is becoming increasingly common on a global scale as galleries look to expand into new regions and test new markets while mitigating financial risk.

Resource sharing also promotes environmental sustainability

Beyond financial advantages, collaboration also opens opportunities for more sustainable operational practices. The Gallery Climate Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing the art sector’s carbon footprint by at least 50 percent by 2030, has been working to promote and facilitate these efforts. In addition to publishing guidelines and best practices, the coalition provides its members with a free network and a suite of tools designed to encourage collaboration and consolidated shipments, particularly for international transport. By combining multiple shipments into a single trip, participating galleries can significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to shipping works individually—a solution that is not only more sustainable but also more cost-effective, particularly for those participating in major art fairs.

At a broader level, embracing shared economies and network-driven strategies could be a critical step toward creating a more equitable and environmentally responsible art world.