Paris+ par Art Basel: What the new art fair has to offer

Why is Art Basel affording an offshoot in Paris with the Paris+ trade fair – and why now?

A few years ago this would not have been an issue. Paris had the image of lying in a slumber. But the city and its cultural landscape have changed: within a few years, three well-known art foundations have opened, important French galleries have expanded their presence and international galleries have opened branches in Paris. The city has become more open and hospitable. As a result of Brexit, London has lost influence and Paris has gained importance. Now is the right time for Paris to position itself as a new, powerful marketplace for contemporary art. And Art Basel seized the opportunity to position itself in Paris.

Due to the limited space in the provisional Grand Palais Éphémère, only 156 galleries from 30 countries can participate. How did the selection process go?

We received 729 applications, which would have been enormous even for Art Basel in Basel. A real enthusiasm! The selection process was inevitably brutal. From the beginning we wanted to ensure some continuity, that’s why we have two-thirds of the selection committee of the FIAC..

. . . the Foire Internationale d’art contemporain, which they supplanted. .

. . . maintained. But we also want to develop a strong identity for Paris+ par Art Basel and strengthen the French scene. That’s why we preferred galleries from France. Although Art Basel is a globalized company, all of our fairs, whether in Basel, Hong Kong, Miami or now Paris, have a strong local anchoring.

What new accents does Paris+ set?

We have expanded the emerging gallery sector and moved it to the heart of the fair. It’s about recognizing the importance of the young generation for the ecosystem. Now major American galleries are also represented at the fair again, which had not come since 2015 or 2016. I’m thinking of Matthew Marks, Green Naftali or Peter Freeman. The bulk remains European, but the Americans come right after. 48 galleries have their headquarters in France, which corresponds to just over 30 percent. Germany is also well represented with 21 galleries.

What is the concept behind the “Galeries émergentes” sector with 16 participants?

Not only the galleries are meant, but above all the artists. Anne Barrault, for example, opened her gallery in 1999, but is presenting a project by Liv Schulmann, a young Argentinian artist. You can also discover slightly older artists whose careers took off later, such as the Georgian Thea Gvetadze. Each gallery shows a solo on 20 square meters and only pays half the stand rent.

As at the other Art Basel fairs, there will also be “Conversations” in Paris. What is your program?

The “Conversations” will take place on a boat anchored on the banks of the Seine at the height of the Eiffel Tower. We chose two curators, Charles Teyssou and Pierre-Alexandre Mateos, to develop the program. Hans-Ulrich Obrist will speak to artist Hervé Télémaque and author Françoise Vergès. Then there is overarching content, for example a discussion about the figure of the Parisian dandy or the subject of “dangerous collections”, which deals with the restitution of looted art.

With Paris+, places in the city – freely accessible – will again be used. What are the highlights?

A new venue is being added, the Chapelle des Petits-Augustins at the Beaux-Arts de Paris School of Fine Arts. There the gb agency gallery is showing a project by the Israeli video artist Omer Fast. We really wanted to integrate the art school and consider how we can further open the fair to art students. A work by Alicja Kwade will be on display in the Place Vendôme and a solo by the American sculptor Thaddeus Mosley in the Delacroix Museum. A tour of around 21 works can again be viewed in the Tuileries Gardens, and there will be an eight-metre high sculpture by Carlos Cruz-Diez in the Tuileries Gardens. There are also works by Judith Hopf, to whom a double exhibition in Paris is currently being dedicated.

Could Paris+ overtake its home base of Basel, especially as the 2024 trade fair moves to the grand, prestigious Grand Palais?

Paris+ is not a new trade fair in terms of dates and location. I’m not afraid of any competition between Paris and Basel, and the context isn’t the same either. In Basel, an entire city lives for this fair for a week. In Paris there is more diversification, the tourist infrastructure is different. October in Paris or June in Basel – it’s not the same atmosphere. In addition, the projects are not comparable: Art Basel in Basel undoubtedly has a place in art history. The competition between Paris and London, between Paris+ and Frieze, on the other hand, is obvious. I think we can stimulate each other. Paris+ wants to inscribe itself in the Parisian context, benefit from the proximity to other creative industries such as fashion, film, music, in order to build bridges. This year we are concentrating on the fair for modern and contemporary art. But we will already be developing further ideas for next year. The enthusiasm of the collectors is enormous. The luxury hotels have been fully booked for weeks and it has become difficult to find a room at all.