While 2020 has been a tumultuous year for the art world, Art Paris will return this year, ushering in the return of the international art scene. The fair, supported by many of its repeat galleries and collectors, will be reborn at the Grand Palais from 10-13 September in a physical edition, establishing itself as the leading art market gathering in Europe.
"It is now more than ever time for galleries to get back to work and meet their collectors," insists Guillaume Piens, general commissioner of the fair. "It is just as important for their artists. The advantage of Art Paris is that it is above all a local and regional fair with a large majority of French galleries. 75% of visitors to the fair come from the Paris region or other areas of France."
The desire to support the galleries and the importance of the physical fair were the driving forces behind this 2020 edition. The organisers have, among other initiatives, created a solidarity fund (supplied by ticket sales) to finance the participation of 14 young galleries that are less than six years old, a major project that is repeated every year at the fair.
What can we expect from this 'act of resistance'?
12 galleries, including 24 international dealers, with both established brands and a new wave of young galleries. Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland will be represented, as well as countries further afield such as South Korea, Canada, Peru and the Ivory Coast.
With 36% new participants, the fair welcomes important names such as Perrotin and Jeanne Bucher Jaeger, and welcomes the return of its loyal galleries such as Nathalie Obadia, Templon, Lahumière and Paris-Beijing. The young generation of gallery owners will also be highlighted with the presence of Pauline Pavec, Arnaud Faure Baulieu, Eva Hober and 193 Gallery, confirming the role of the fair as a discoverer of hidden talents.
Through the selection of specific projects by French artists and the contribution of curator Gaël Charbau, Art Paris brings us Common and Uncommon Histories, a subjective, critical and historical perspective on the French art scene. The project brings together "19 artists, most of whom were born in the 1980s, whose works highlight the notions of narrative, unique and universal stories".
Spanish and Portuguese art from the 1950s to the present day will be another theme of the fair and will allow 17 galleries to present 50 exceptional artists, ranging from masters of modern art to contemporary stars. Artworks by Joan Miró, Maria Helena Vieira Da Silva and Antoni Tàpies will be exhibited alongside today's visual artists such as Miguel Branco, Rui Moreira and Jorge Queiroz.
The 'Solo Show' initiative returns with 20 monographic exhibitions aimed at providing an in-depth discovery of the work of modern, contemporary and emerging artists. The exhibitions will be scattered throughout the fair and will subtly punctuate visitors' journeys.
In total, 14 young galleries from Abidjan, Brussels, Lima, Lisbon, Sofia, Marseille and Paris will invest in the 'Promises' sector, a section dedicated to emerging artists. This year, young dealers will be placed at the centre of the Grand Palais to put the spotlight on their artists. Created six years ago or less, these galleries are financially supported by the fair and will feature between one and three up-and-coming artists.
The 2020 edition of Art Paris, which will set the tone for cultural events to come, will have improved public safety measures in place: the plan of the fair has been revised with wider aisles and attendance reduced to 3,000 visitors under the glass roof of the Grand Palais. As for the opening of 9 September, it will be spread over five days in the morning, from 10am to 12pm.
The 22nd edition of Art Paris is the first step in the rehabilitation of the Parisian art scene and will promote the cultural, artistic and human encounters that have been so lacking this year.
Find all the information relating to the progress of the fair on the Art Paris website.