The second wave of lockdowns that have begun in several European countries, including France, are undermining the creative and cultural sectors - exhibitions have been postponed or cancelled, museums are closed and networking within the art market has slowed down. Artalistic takes stock of the impact the coronavirus is having on culture and art during the lockdown.



Another blow to an already weak sector



The impact lockdowns have on art and culture

Art lovers around the world will have to learn to live for the foreseeable future without being able to enjoy the exceptional sensory experience of visiting museums, galleries or art fairs. The second lockdown in France will deal a second blow to a sector that was already greatly affected during the first lockdown in the spring of 2020.



The creative and cultural sectors take a blow

The impact the new COVID-19 outbreak has had on the economy is still difficult to quantify even though the French Ministry of Culture published a survey in March 2020 that was conducted with 7,800 people working in the creative and cultural sectors.

Before the first lockdown, the art world had a turnover of 97 billion euros in France, for an added value of approximately 47 billion euros. With nearly 80,000 companies and 635,000 workers, this sector accounted for 2.3% of the national economy.

Compared to 2019, French authorities have estimated a 25% decrease in turnover, representing 22 billion euros. The branches of this sector that will be hardest hit are performing arts and cultural heritage sites, with respectively -72% and -36% drop in activity.

We must keep in mind that this information was gathered during the first lockdown. With a second lockdown underway these figures should be recalculated.



Museums shut their doors & exhibitions are postponed

Lockdowns do not mix with art and culture. These sectors rely on people to be present in person - visits to museums, monuments, concert halls, movie theaters, etc. - the damage done to this economy is significant, affecting a multitude of individuals in a sector that was already weakened during the first wave of the pandemic.

The Louvre Museum has announced that it will close its doors for at least one month, from October 29 to December 1, 2020. All other Parisian institutions, such as the Musée d'Orsay, will also be closed until further notice. Numerous exhibitions are also on hold throughout the country.

The exhibition entitled Body and Soul: Italian Renaissance Sculpture from Donatello to Michelangelo is a sumptuous exhibition on Italian Renaissance sculpture that recently opened at the Louvre, which has been postponed. This is also the case for the retrospective celebrating the hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of Matisse’s birth at the Centre Pompidou and the very promising exhibition Hypnose in Nantes that explores the cultural history of hypnotism. The world famous trade fair for international contemporary art (FIAC) was initially scheduled for the end of October in Paris but has been cancelled. The French National Monuments Center announced the closure of all its monuments on October 30 and declined to offer an alternative date for their reopening.



Culture, art and lockdowns: what to look out for in the near future



A future that is not as bleak as it seems

The current overview of culture and art during lockdowns appears to be very gloomy. However, there are glimmers of hope.



The show will go on!

In spite of the worrying situation, artists are continuing to create work during lockdowns. Artists, if anything, are finding new and exciting inspiration from current events. Like this new piece Banksy created during lockdown in the safe confinements of his own bathroom.

As lockdown measures in France are less drastic than those experienced last spring, some galleries and museums are continuing to prepare exhibitions and lending pieces. Construction and restoration projects on heritage building sites are still under way.



Virtual art tours during the lockdown

As far as the artistic sphere is concerned, auction houses and exhibition venues have closed their doors again. As seen during the first lockdown, museums are seeing an uptick in people doing virtual tours.  

The Internet is a powerful medium that is particularly well adapted to the field of art. Recent studies have shown a significant increase in the amount of information, transactions and activities concerning art on the web. An increasing number of pieces of art are now being successfully sold on the Internet, even pre-lockdown.



While you wait for better days ahead, Artalistic wishes you, above all, to stay safe. We would like you to know that our website is up and running as usual. Feel free to browse our carefully curated collection of contemporary art, where you will find magnificent paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and limited editions. Whether you are an art lover or investor, our team of exerts are ready to give you advice and walk you through the process of selecting and purchasing a piece. If you are an artist looking to create a portfolio, we are here to help you too!