«IT'S CALLED GOSSIP AND OF COURSE IT'S AN OBSESSION OF MINE»

Gagosian – cracks in the empire?

As the year ended, the headlong expansion of super-gallerist Larry Gagosian suddenly hit a bump, when three of his star artists defected. In December it emerged that Jeff Koons was planning a show with arch-rival Zwirner in what looks like the prelude to an exit from Gagosian. Then in quick succession Damien Hirst and Yayoi Kusama bowed out too.

So what is happening here? Opinions vary but one element may be the bad publicity generated by a couple of lawsuits involving Gagosian, one over a Koons sculpture. Or it may be simply that with the top end of the market riding high, artists have got the upper hand and are abandoning any loyalty to their dealers.

-Financial Times

 Dec 28 2012