Hauser & Wirth was founded in 1992 in Zurich by Iwan Wirth, Manuela Wirth and Ursula Hauser, who were joined in 2000 by partner and co-president Marc Payot. A family business with a global outlook, Hauser & Wirth has expanded over the past 29 years to include outposts in Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Southampton, Somerset, Gstaad and St. Moritz. In July 2021 Hauser & Wirth will open an art centre on Isla del Rey in the port of Mahon in Menorca. The gallery’s artists and estates have been instrumental in shaping its identity over close to three decades and are the inspiration for Hauser & Wirth’s diverse range of activities that engage with art, education, conservation and sustainability.

Located in the heart of Monaco, near the historic Hôtel de Paris, Hauser & Wirth’s new gallery features a spectacular main exhibition space, a 290 sq.m. cube with 9 metre high walls, lit from above by a dramatic skylight. The conversion of the site has been conducted by Selldorf Architects, New York, which has collaborated with Hauser & Wirth on its spaces internationally since the founding of the gallery in 1992. In Monaco, Hauser & Wirth occupies the lower spaces of a building designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and owned by the Société des Bains de Mer.

‘When we were invited to play a part in the continuing revival of the art scene in Monaco,’ says Iwan Wirth, President, Hauser & Wirth, ‘we saw that it offered an exceptional opportunity to present our artists in the heart of city, engaging with the vibrant contemporary scene across the south of France and strengthening our European presence. In former times, Monaco was a destination for artists, writers, and filmmakers who were as captivated as we have been by the Côte d’Azur. Over our nearly 30-year history, Hauser & Wirth has created physical spaces in the locations where our artists and our collectors reside – not only in the large urban centres of London, New York, and Los Angeles, but also in legendary resort communities and seasonal gathering spots such as Southampton and St. Moritz. This is something we have always done. But it’s an even more important step given the impact of events over the last year during which we have sought out new ways to present and sell works of art.’