Thunderbolt in the world of art in France: the Swiss giant of contemporary art fairs Art Basel will replace the International Fair of Contemporary Art, FIAC, present for 47 years in Paris.
To strengthen its “global influence”, Paris decided on Wednesday to bet on Art Basel (Swiss group MCH), an event taking place each year in Basel (Switzerland), Miami (United States) and Hong Kong. The choice was made by the board of directors of the Réunion des musées nationaux — Grand Palais (RMN-GP) following a call for tenders launched in December. The owner of the FIAC, RX-France, a subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch RX (formerly Reed Expositions), said in a press release “deeply regret this decision taken suddenly”.
He denounces “a rushed and biased procedure which affects “the entire ecosystem linked to contemporary art”.
The call for competition also concerned the organization of the international photographic art fair, which remains in the hands of Paris Photo, also owned by RX-France.
MCH and RX, the only candidates, had applied for the two slots, traditionally reserved for FIAC and Paris Photo. They will have to commit to a period of seven years for an overall cost estimated at 10.6 million euros (15.1 million Canadian dollars) for the contemporary art fair and 7.5 million euros ( $10.7 million) for the photographic event, excluding technical costs, according to the call for tenders.
Among its financial supporters, Art Basel includes the Anglo-American James Murdoch, son of the press magnate Rupert Murdoch, 30% shareholder of the MCH group, “enthusiastic” about the arrival of the fair in Paris, specified to AFP its World Director, Marc Spiegler.
“ We did not exclude anyone, but chose the candidacy that best carried the ambition of taking advantage of the singularity and specificity of Paris, ”the RMN-GP told AFP.
The new contemporary art fair in Paris “will not be a satellite of the Basel fair”, assures the cultural operator. He wants “a specific brand” and promises “a controlled pricing policy so that the price of stands does not explode”.
It is a question, he says, of “paying particular attention to the place of French artists and French galleries”.
For the president of the Professional Committee of Art Galleries, Marion Papillon, the arrival of this giant in Paris “turns the landscape of fairs upside down well beyond France, with a concentration of major players” in the face of which she hopes ” see other models develop [de salons] smaller,” she told AFP.
“I am very enthusiastic about the idea of this change,” gallery owner David Zwirner told AFP. “Those who have taken part in FIAC for years will have to adapt, but I am sure that the arrival of Art Basel will be spectacular. »
The future Parisian international contemporary art fair is scheduled for October 20 to 23, and the one devoted to photography will take place from November 10 to 13.