Paris+ par Art Basel 2022: A Successful First Edition

This fall, the contemporary art fair world welcomes a new player to the game. Paris+ par Art Basel makes its debut October 20-23, the days when the FIAC art fair traditionally took place, at the Grand Palais Éphémère. The fair brings together emerging and established artists, curators, collectors and galleries from all over the world. It also aims to host an art fair that respects the identity of Paris and its cultural scene. Our specialists went to the preview and offer you their insights on the fair, its trends, and their top picks from its inaugural edition. Visit Paris+ par Art Basel, with Artsper!

The origins of Paris+

Paris+ represents a big change in the cultural landscape of Paris. For the past 47 years, the Grand Palais has hosted FIAC, a European contemporary art fair that took place every October. However, in 2021, Art Basel won the bid to host Paris+ in its place. The new fair opens a dialog between a variety of contemporary cultural industries; art, fashion, music, design and cinema. The Art Basel Group aims to create an experience unique to its host city. Paris+ will work closely with Paris’ galleries and cultural spaces to create a program celebrating the artistic richness of the city.

Paris+: A wealth of international galleries

There are 156 galleries exhibiting in the Grand Palais Éphémère. 57 of these galleries are housed in an extension of the building on the lawn of the Champ-de-Mars. Although we loved the bustling atmosphere of the main structure, we particularly enjoyed a more spacious, airy experience in the extension tent. The fair hosts an impressive number of international galleries for a Paris-based art fair: 95 out of the 156! As usual in Art Basel fairs, visitors at Paris+ can discover two categories of exhibitors: a main Galleries section, and one dedicated to Emerging galleries, which consisted of only 16 booths this year.

A diverse selection of world-class galleries

Galleries brings together modern and contemporary art galleries, such as Galerie Lelong, Perrotin, Galerie Xippas, and Templon. With high-quality selections from most exhibitors, visitors at Paris+ this year were able to enjoy an original, refreshing curation of contemporary art. Artsper’s picks? We loved the show-stopping portrait by Alice Neel at Victoria Miro’s booth. We were also gripped by Ai Weiwei’s Porcelain Pillar with Refugee Motif at Galerie Max Hetzler.

Both international and French galleries had a lot to offer. One booth that particularly drew attention was Xippas‘ solo show of young French artist Bertille Bak. Her work, which merges art and political activism, is based on her time following underage miners. Bak invites the viewer to immerse themselves in the artwork for a period of 15 minutes, to try to understand the experience of child workers. A striking piece, with a strong message.

Emerging Galleries at Paris+: Quality over quantity

As the name suggests, the Emerging Galleries section places a spotlight on newer art institutions, the up-and-coming players on the contemporary art scene. We only wish that there were a few more galleries on display! We particularly loved the digital installation made especially for the fair by artist Nile Koetting (Parliament gallery). Yong Xiang Li’s installation for Antenna Space gallery also caught our attention.

A city-wide art event

Paris+ extends far beyond the walls of the Grand Palais Éphémère! Its Sites section focuses on cultural events happening around the city in four iconic Parisian settings: the Jardin des Tuileries, the Musée national Eugène-Delacroix, Place Vendôme, the Beaux-Arts de Paris, and other cultural institutions. Sites will highlight the fair’s aim of showcasing Paris’s wealth of culture, bringing the fair out of the Grand Palais Éphémère to the general public, with installations such as Lucia Koch’s enormous Double Trouble at the Palais d’Iéna.

Discover more of the show with Artsper!

Can’t make it to Paris+ in person? Don’t worry! Whether you’re an experienced fair-goer, or want to learn more about the best and brightest on the contemporary art scene, Artsper has put together a curated selection of works inspired by Paris+, so you can enjoy the fair from your own home.