Marc Payot

PRESIDENT, HAUSER & WIRTH

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF IN YOUR INDUSTRY? LESS OF?

It would be great if the largest galleries could become more conscious of and knowledgeable about the whole art world ecosystem, top to bottom, and find meaningful ways to support smaller businesses. We’re in it together. There’s space for everyone to thrive. We all need to stop thinking of our industry as a zero-sum game.

WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE GET WRONG ABOUT YOU?

Being Swiss, I am naturally reserved, and many people mistake this for inflexibility or rigidity. But my family, my wife, my daughters, my close friends, and my closest colleagues all know I am quite open and understanding, tolerant, sentimental. I’m just so busy and in such constant motion with work, that I tend to keep things focused.

““It would be great if the largest galleries could become more conscious of and knowledgeable about the whole art world ecosystem, top to bottom, and find meaningful ways to support smaller businesses. There’s space for everyone to thrive.””

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SURPRISED YOURSELF IN YOUR WORK?

In 2022, I looked at the gallery world and felt strongly that something was missing. I started meeting with colleagues I admire, whose galleries operate at a very different scale from ours—a listening tour. I began dreaming of forming the kind of collective impact partnerships that are so important in academia, medicine, and other fields— fostering mutuality, resource-sharing, mentorship. Fast-forward: Hauser & Wirth has announced our first two collective impact alliances with Nicola Vassell Gallery and Company Gallery, both wonderful younger galleries, and we have more in the pipeline. It’s my belief that the old saying is true—a rising tide lifts all boats.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS YOUR BIGGEST CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURE?

Moving from Switzerland to New York in 2008 to steward Hauser & Wirth into America was a huge step for me and my family. Sixteen years later, our gallery is deeply integrated into the cultural conversation in the United States.