Paris, center of the contemporary art world with Paris+ by Art Basel

This weekend, all collectors, gallery owners, amateurs and specialists in contemporary art will circulate under the wooden vault of the Grand Palais Éphémère which replaces the Grand Palais still under construction until 2024. Satellite fairs, eight in number, include Modern Art Fair or AKAA (specialized on the African scene) which accompany this event, as well as multiple works placed in the urban universe, from Place Vendôme to the Tuileries gardens. From October 20 to 22, three days dedicated to contemporary creation.

Paris+ by Art Basel, symbol of economic success

It has almost become a slogan. Paris has regained its place at the top of the contemporary art market rankings. The Paris+ fair, organized by the powerful Art Basel strike force, is the symbol of this affirmation. Flashback some 50 years. Since 1974, in the last century, the Fiac in October has become the unmissable event for contemporary art. For decades, the bays of the former Bastille station and then those of the prestigious Grand Palais have housed galleries from all over the world, coming to present and sell popular or yet-to-be-discovered visual artists. During these 50 years, there were ups and downs. London, Berlin, Miami, these cities and fairs compete with each other and work hard to bring in rich collectors. In 2021, Fiac becomes Paris+ by Art Basel. An arrival which gave new impetus to Paris.

Clément Delépine, director of Paris+ by Art Basel confirms this to Franceinfo: “If Paris is not the center of the world, it consolidates its 4th place on the global market with 5 billion dollars in transactions and 50% of art transactions in Europe take place in France.” He adds : “20 years ago, France represented 3% of the world market, today we are at 8%.” Contemporary art must be economically pampered, because according to the Art Basel/UPS report, out of $37 billion in global gallery turnover, 48% is generated by contemporary art (artists born after 1945) and 11% by modern art (artists born between 1910 and 1945). Beyond these figures, Clément Delépine insists on the attraction of France for foreign gallery owners who have opened new places in the capital or in the suburbs. Proof of this confidence, the prestigious Swiss gallery Hauser & Wirth and the Brazilians of Mendes Wood have just opened in the 8th arrondissement of Paris and Place des Vosges. Finally, the imposing and magnificent Rothko retrospective at the Louis Vuitton Foundation is an additional magnet to attract art lovers to the capital this week.

“We have seen many foreign collectors since this morning”

It is at Daniel Templon, a historic French gallery owner, that we can verify the economic dynamism of the fair from October 18, a day reserved for collectors. He used to say: “For nothing in the world, I would miss this meeting.” And Anne-Claudie, artistic director of the gallery, outbids : “We have seen many foreign collectors since this morning. This year we have felt a strong interest in our artists from the Parisian scene.” Proof with the sale of several works by Philippe Cognée between 45,000 and 80,000 euros and a work by the Franco-Senegalese Alioune Diagne for 54,000 euros. This is one of the ongoing arguments, the strength of Paris + reflects on French artists who regain prestige in the eyes of the world.

It is also at the Marfa Gallery in Beirut that we can measure the importance of Paris +. Joumana Assely, the director of this Lebanese gallery wanted to be present. And it’s a significant investment, at 630 euros per m2. Being a gallery owner in Beirut is a struggle. On August 4, 2020, the explosion at the port destroyed its gallery like this entire district of the Lebanese capital. We had to start from scratch in a country where the economy is at its lowest. The Lebanese market, even if it is resilient, is not enough to make artists known. And the current situation for two weeks in southern Lebanon worries him to the greatest extent. “Few words could express this worry and my sadness,” she said. But we had to be there to defend Mohamad Abdouni. An artist born in Beirut with strange and fascinating work. It mixes photographic archives and testimonies from Arab queer communities, particularly trans women’s stories and experiences with the use of artificial intelligence. The result, new images, curious, coming from technology, but moving. We no longer know what is historical, or what is fictionalized. We seek a truth in a register of mixed genres. Abdouni was chosen by the Lafayette Anticipation foundation to soon produce a work. A Beirut/Paris cooperation.

Emerging galleries

Further on, in the aisles of the Grand Palais Éphémère, 14 galleries stand out from the rest. Under the sign of the Ephemeral Galleries. They represent the developing art scene and their gallery owners hope for a run-off. A fashionable term here too, to say that the financial success of the fair would benefit young artists. What Charlotte Dualé, sculptor exhibited at Parliament, a young Parisian gallery created three years ago, summarizes as follows: “It’s important for me to open my network, to meet new buyers, that’s why it’s important to be presented in Paris +.” SIf the great collectors meet in the historic galleries, the more daring and curious browse the other stands. Proof with this collector interested in one of these ceramic sculptures. “It is important to discover”, he tells us and “in addition, it is a source of pride to be among the first buyers when the artist becomes known. And honestly, the prices are much more affordable.” Léonore Larrara, director of the gallery, concluding: “SAt the stand, we welcome as many collectors that we know as new buyers.”

Contemporary art in the streets of Paris

But at 40 euros entry, making Paris+ by Art Basel a family outing requires a big budget. To discover works, you might as well wander the streets of Paris. On the chic and expensive Place Vendôme, kingdom of jewelers and luxury hotels, Urs Fischer posed Wave. 5 by 7 meters. A monumental ring? A silver stone? To create this sculpture, Usr Fischer kneads a small portion of clay and when the shape corresponds to what he is looking for, he chooses it. “It’s funny. It’s almost like dancing. Something happens that feels right,” he declares on the site numero.com. At nightfall, between dog and wolf, the metal block becomes a jewel, the imprints of the Swiss artist’s hand can be seen. And Wave becomes sculpture.

Further on, on the banks of the Seine, in front of the Académie Française, Towards unknown horizons, a wool totem by Sheila Hicks, seems a little lost on the Quai Conti square. In the Tuileries gardens, it is an open-air museum with the works of more than twenty artists, including Joël Andrianomearisoa, Meriem Bennani, Jacqueline de Jong, Vojtěch Kovařík, Zanele Muholi, Jean Prouvé and Pierre Jeanneret, and Claudia Wieser. At the Palace of Jena, it’s a face-to-face between Daniel Buren and Michelangelo Pistoletto. A stroll far from the art markets, but a good way to be surprised by contemporary creation.

Paris+ Art Basel from October 20 to 22, 2023 at the Grand Palais Ephèmere.