PARIS.- Art Paris is celebrating its 25th anniversary with an edition that will bring together some 134 galleries from 25 different countries at the Grand Palais Éphémère from 30 March to 2 April 2023. Art Paris – which was founded in 1999 – has become in the space of 25 years a leading spring arts event, an innovative art fair that fosters discovery, setting out to explore in depth the world of modern and contemporary art.
A regional, national, and cosmopolitan fair, Art Paris has put the spotlight on many countries or continent’s art scene. In parallel, Art Paris is committed to supporting the French scene. Since 2018, it has been asking an exhibition curator to turn a subjective, historical, and critical eye on a selection of specific projects by French artists from among the participating galleries.
The Covid-19 pandemic marked a turning point in the fair’s history. Art Paris was the world’s first post-lockdown “physical” art fair in September 2020 and, in 2021, it went on to become the first event to inaugurate the Temporary Grand Palais on the Champ-de-Mars. Six months later, in April 2022, it was also the first fair to adopt a sustainable, life cycle analysis-based approach to its organisation.
The 2023 selection: a strong and renewed list of exhibitors
Boosted by the success of its previous editions, the 2023 selection pursues the fair’s development with a list of exhibitors renewed at 32% (i.e., 44 new galleries compared to 2022) and the continued presence of a number of international heavyweights. 60% of the exhibitors are domestic galleries and 40% internationally based.
This deliberate choice enables the fair to showcase the wealth of the French gallery ecosystem that includes leading modern and contemporary art galleries and galleries based in towns all over France, while providing support to emerging structures with “Promises”, the sector for young galleries.
Art Paris 2023, two themes dealing with notions of commitment and exile
Art & Commitment: A Focus on the French Scene
Independent exhibition curator Marc Donnadieu shares his perspective on the French scene with a selection of 20 artists from different generations exhibited by this edition’s galleries. This focus explores these artists’ approach to the concept of commitment, whether a commitment to art and artworks, or to the world, its history and what is happening today.
Exile: Dispossession and Resistances
This theme has been entrusted to independent exhibition curator and founder of the Beirut-based TAP (Temporary Art Platform), Amanda Abi Khalil. It shines a spotlight on a selection of 18 international artists chosen from the exhibiting galleries whose work addresses questions in relation to exile.
“Solo Show” and “Duo Show”
Fifteen solo shows spread throughout the fair allow visitors to discover or rediscover in depth the work of modern, contemporary, or emerging artists.
In addition, ten or so galleries have opted to put on duo shows that establish a dialogue between artists of the past, or between different generations.
"Promises": Supporting Young Galleries and Emerging Artists
Focusing on young galleries created less than six years ago, this sector provides a forward-looking analysis of cutting-edge contemporary art. Participating galleries may present up to three artists and the fair finances 45% of their exhibitor fees. International galleries are largely represented in this sector that is constantly renewing its exhibitors from one year to the next (67% in 2023). This year, “Promises” plays host to nine galleries.
Art Paris: The Place To Be for Contemporary Art!
Paris is in the midst of an exceptional period of cultural and artistic renaissance illustrated by the opening of new galleries and venues, the renovation of existing cultural institutions and the inauguration of new ones. More than ever before, the City of Light is asserting its role as the place to be for contemporary art. The activities on offer as part of the VIP programme, reserved for collectors and art professionals, bear witness to the transformation of Paris’s art scene.
