CONTEMPORARY ART: Discover Here The 25 World’s Best Art Galleries — Art is experiencing an incredible commercial boom right now, and many of the galleries on this list were founded in the ’80s and ’90s.
Beyond commercial success, when it comes to contemporary art, a great gallery has the ability to continually challenge the way things have been done in the past, supporting new, young, and/or political work, and embracing the expansion of existing and new mediums. Therefore, Daily Design News‘ editors did a little digging on the internet and found out some of the world’s best art galleries in the world. Check them out!
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1. Gagosian
Artists Represented: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Nam June Paik, Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor, Ed Ruscha
Founded in 1980, initially in partnership with the dealer, Leo Castelli, in SoHo, Gagosian Gallery has produced museum-quality shows using its unprecedented global presence. In addition to a vibrant contemporary program, the gallery often presents historical exhibitions focusing on artists like Andy Warhol and Picasso.
2. Hauser & Wirth
Artists Represented: Paul McCarthy, Jenny Holzer, Pipilotti Rist, Martin Creed, Louise Bourgeois
Founded by Manuela Wirth and Ursula Hauser in Switzerland, the Hauser & Wirth gallery has created exciting exhibitions, performances, happenings, environments, and more.
3. Galerie Perrotin
Artists Represented: Takashi Murakami, Daniel Arsham, KAWS, Elmgreen & Dragset, JR
Since officially founding the Galerie Perrotin in 1990, Emmanuel Perrotin represents numerous French artists, such as Sophie Calle, Tatiana Trouve, and Xavier Veilhan, as well as newer names like JR and Daniel Arsham. The gallery is also known for branching outside of the art world and has partnered with Pharrell and Massive Attack, among others.
4. David Zwirner
Artists Represented: Yayoi Kusama, Oscar Murillo, Kerry Marshall, Jeff Koons, Richard Serra
Since 1993, David Zwirner has set a high standard for showing contemporary art, from important minimalist works to time-based media. The gallery, originally founded by Zwirner in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, has fostered the careers of some of the most important artists working today.
5. Pace Gallery
Artists Represented: Chuck Close, Donald Judd, Maya Lin, Yoshitomo Nara, James Turrell
Since its founding by Arne Glimcher in 1960, Pace Gallery has produced hundreds of top-notch catalogs and even more exhibitions, loomed large at art fairs, and maintained lasting relevance in the art world.
6. Marian Goodman
Artists Represented: John Baldessari, Dan Graham, Giuseppe Penone, Lawrence Weiner, Adrián Villar Rojas
Before she had a gallery, Marian Goodman founded Multiples, which published prints and books by American artists such as John Baldessari, Dan Graham, and Andy Warhol.
7. Salon 94
Artists Represented: Marilyn Minter, Rick Owens, David Benjamin Sherry, Tom Sachs, Wangechi Mutu
Founded in 2003, Salon 94 began in the Upper East Side home of founder Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn. The gallery expanded to include two locations in downtown New York City, in Freeman’s Alley and on Bowery, two doors down from the New Museum.
8. Victoria Miro
Artists Represented: Chris Ofili, Do Ho Suh, Kara Walker, Andreas Gursky, Cecily Brown
Since its founding in London in 1985, Victoria Miro gallery has created a strong presence internationally and catapulted the careers of multiple artists, including many Turner Prize winners.
9. Sprueth Magers
Artists Represented: Barbara Kruger, Ryan Trecartin, John Baldessari, Cindy Sherman, Thomas Demand
In 1983, Monika Sprüth has founded Sprueth Magers gallery with a focus on female artists and showed the work of now-legendary figures, such as Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, and Cindy Sherman. After merging with Philomene Magers in 1998, the duo opened spaces in Berlin, London, and Los Angeles, where they continue to contribute to artistic discourse through museum-quality exhibitions, publications, and their artist-designed film and record store.
10. Gavin Brown’s Enterprise
Artists Represented: Joan Jonas, Alex Katz, Latoya Ruby Frazier, Bjaarne Melgaard, Urs Fischer
Gavin Brown’s Enterprise is a true “enterprise” in the sense that it’s not limited by gallery walls. Since its founding, their projects have included an Elizabeth Peyton exhibition hung at the Chelsea Hotel, a hole dug into the gallery floor by Urs Fischer, and a site-specific Jonathan Horowitz show in the former space of LaFreida meats.
11. Blum & Poe
Artists Represented: Kishio Suga, Takashi Murakami, Lee Ufan, Julian Schnabel, Sam Durant
Since its founding in 1994, Blum & Poe has continued to be a major player in the Los Angeles art scene and beyond. The gallery has never shied away from forward-thinking, untraditional exhibitions; their first show was an installation by Anya Gallaccio, where the artist smeared chocolate all over the gallery walls.
12. Lisson Gallery
Artists Represented: Ai Weiwei, Sol Lewitt, Laure Prouvost, Marina Abramović, Cory Arcangel
Lisson Gallery was one of the first galleries in the UK to champion minimalist and conceptual artists. It introduced some of the most important sculptors of the 20th-century, such as Richard Deacon and Anish Kapoor, and other Turner Prize-winning (Kapoor, Deacon, Tony Cragg) and nominated artists. The newest editions to their roster include innovative artists like Haroon Mirza, who uses sculptural installations to produce sound compositions.
13. Sean Kelly Gallery
Artists Represented: Marina Abramović, Antony Gormley, Mariko Mori, Hugo McCloud, Kehinde Wiley
Located in SoHo and officially opened in 1995, Sean Kelly gallery was the site of early exhibitions by Marina Abramović and Robert Mapplethorpe, among others. Today, Sean Kelly represents a wide range of artists working in multiple mediums and publishes artist monologues.
14. Deitch Projects
Artists Represented: Ai Weiwei, Paul McCarthy
Jeffrey Deitch’s Deitch Projects began after he had already established himself a successful art dealer in New York City. From its first exhibition, a performance by Vanessa Beecroft, the gallery has become synonymous with breaking new names in art and expanding the possibility of what can be done within a gallery’s walls.
15. Lehmann Maupin
Artists Represented: Os Gemeos, Gilbert & George, Mr., Mickalene Thomas, Alex Prager
Founded by David Maupin and Rachel Lehmann in SoHo in 1996, Lehmann Maupin is known for giving many now-renowned artists their first shows in the city, including Tracey Emin, Do Ho Suh, Do Ho Suh, Juergen Teller, and Anya Gallaccio. Today, they work with a range of international artists, including Liu Wei, MR., Os Gemeos and Juergen Teller, whose individual practices are furthering their mediums.
16. Paula Cooper
Artists Represented: Cecily Brown, Bruce Conner, Christian Marclay, Hans Haacke, Sam Durant
The gold standard of galleries dedicated to conceptual and minimal art, Paula Cooper was the first art gallery to open in New York’s Soho district, premiering an exhibition to benefit the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam.
17. Yvon Lambert
Artists Represented: Joan Jonas, Anselm Kiefer, Shilpa Gupta, Lawrence Weiner, Nan Goldin
In the mid-1960s, collector Yvon Lambert founded a gallery to present Paris’ most innovative artists. By the 1970s, Americans like Sol LeWitt, Robert Ryman, and Jean Michel Basquiat were added to the program.
18. Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
Artists Represented: Robert Longo, Alex Katz, Gilbert & George, Imran Qureshi, Cory Arcangel
Founded in Austria in 1983, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac now has a real international impact representing around 60 artists and a number of renowned estates.
19. Lévy Gorvy
Artists Represented: Pierre Soulages, Pat Steir, Frank Stella, Günther Uecker, Dan Colen
Beyond a number of exciting contemporary minimal, abstract, and conceptual artists, Lévy Gorvy also represents the estates of Yves Klein, Frank Stella, and others.
20. Sadie Coles HQ
Artists Represented: Richard Prince, Carl Andre, Ugo Rondinone, Sarah Lucas, Martine Syms
Sadie Coles HQ started as a platform for Young British Artists (YBAS) in the late ’90s, but has since grown into a major player in the international art scene.
21. Mary Boone Gallery
Artists Represented: Ai Weiwei, Barbara Kruger, Will Cotton, KAWS, Ryan McNamara
Mary Boone gallery quickly became successful through neo-expressionist art, later expanding to include artists like Barbara Kruger and Eric Fischl. Along with the rest of the art market, went through a rough patch in the ’90s, Boone continues to represent and develop the careers of some of the world’s best artists.
22. Marlborough Contemporary
Artists Represented: Nate Lowman, Devin Troy Strother, Agathe Snow, Andrew Kuo, Robert Lazzarini
Founded in London in 1946 by Frank Lloyd and Harry Fischer, Marlborough Fine Art was the precursor to Marlborough Contemporary, which was officially founded in 2007.
23. Moran Bondaroff
Artists Represented: Diana Al-Hadid, Daniel Arsham, Lucien Smith, David Benjamin Sherry, Terence Koh
Originally named OHWOW gallery, Alberto Moran, Aaron Bondaroff, and Mills Moran founded the L.A. gallery in 2008. Since then, Moran Bondaroff has made a big impact in the art world in a relatively short amount of time, they exhibit work in a variety of mediums and are often at the forefront of challenging gallery norms.
24. The Hole
Artists Represented: FriendsWithYou, Matthew Stone, JIM JOE, Vanessa Prager, Holton Rower
Founded by Kathy Grayson in 2010, The Hole has solidified itself as a bold exhibitor of young, ambitious art and well-curated group exhibitions and fair appearances. The gallery, located on Bowery Street in New York, where many now-famous artists lived and worked in the ‘80s, is known for often hosting two exhibitions at once.
25. Team Gallery
Artists Represented: Ryan McGinley, Parker Ito, Tabor Robak, Sam McKinniss, Banks Violette
Founded by José Freire and Lisa Ruyter in 1996, Team Gallery has become known for representing strong artists focused on counterculture and radical politics. They have been instrumental in the continually exciting career of photographer Ryan McGinley.
