Gagosian Headed to Paris?

New York-based Gagosian Gallery is reportedly preparing to open a branch in Paris, according to dealers close to the company. The gallery has been negotiating a deal to acquire space in the 8th arrondissement, home to many high-fashion stores and art galleries. Gagosian, which is already established in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, London, Rome, and recently announced plans to open in Athens, first made its presence clear in Paris six years ago. The gallery funded the complete catalog of Pablo Picasso sculptures in 2003, when a research team opened offices in the Place Vendome. Gagosian’s French outpost would mark Paris’ growing rivalry with London as the post-recession center of Europe’s art market. “For a long time London was the ‘it’ place,” Jill Silverman, director of Paris’ Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, said. “That city has changed financially. Paris has been a sleeping giant. Now there’s a real buzz to the gallery scene.”