Art Paris Returns to the Grand Palais
The French-focused international fair is curated around two intriguing themes: “Babel – Art and Language in France” and “Reparation”
Art Paris, the annual contemporary art fair, is back for its 28th season. Guillaume Piens, the General Director of Art Paris, spoke to the fair’s growing importance in the modern at world sphere: “Art Paris has developed as a fair that is both deeply rooted in its local context and open to the international scene, and it is precisely this balance that defines its singularity today. With a majority of French galleries, it plays a structuring role for the local art scene, while placing it in dialogue with galleries and artists from other contexts.”
Below, find some of the themes, moments, exhibitions, and other highlights happening at one of the French capital’s key spring moments.
Theme: Babel–Art and Language in France
“Babel” is one of two themes being addressed as linchpins of Art Paris. Loïc Le Gall, who curated “Babel,” explained the premise: “Altogether, the section reveals that art is a laboratory where the forms of language are observed, unfolded, sometimes diverted, and often reinvented.” Artists exhibiting within this segment include Laure Prouvost and Fabrice Hyber, and Galerie Catherine Issert, Galerie Claire Gastaud, and Galerie Jeanne Bucher Jaeger (with a Dubuffet) are among the galleries presenting.
Theme: Reparation
“Reparation” is an international theme straddling the nuances of healing, remorse, and the colonial legacy. Alexia Fabre, is executive director of the Centre Pompidou Francilien in Massy and curator of “Reparation,” spoke to the global question raised here: “How can we repair the silences of history, personal or collective traumas, through material and image? Do the traces of this repair become works in themselves, and to what extent can an object, a subject, or a being be repaired? These thought-provoking installations boast galleries such as Galerie Anne Barrault, Galerie Papillon, and Galerie Christophe Gaillard. Uman is on display here, as is work by Fabienne Verdier, Shilpa Gupta, and Rafael Domenech.
Emerging Galleries
“Promises,” the Art Paris program dedicated to up-and-coming galleries, demonstrates the fair’s commitment to nurturing the next generation. Some of the noteworthy participants are: Bridge Gallery, Cassandra Bird Gallery, Galerie Valerie Delaunay, and C+N Gallery CANEPANERI.
The French Design Art Edition Section
Simultaneous to PAD Paris, Art Paris offers its own design exhibit. Galerie 2024 Creative Mind Emma Donnersberg is showing her Rajasthan-inspired Delhi collection, full of references to some of the most memorable sites in architectural history, while 2026 Creative Mind India Mahdavi’s colorful work showcases multiple seasons in her repertoire. Other exciting names here: Rinck, Bruno Moinard Édition, Mercœur and Phillipe Hurel.
Solo Shows
There will be plentiful highlights from artists outside the two main themes. Some to look out for: Bernard Buffet, Erró, Soo Kyoung Lee, Julie Navarro, Christiane Löhr, and Hugo Pratt.
Awards
Three important prizes will be awarded, two of them by jury. The BNP Paribas
Banque Privée Prize focuses on the French scene. The Her Art Prize selects a winner from a group of 12 women finalists noted for the social impact of their work. Finally, Le FRENCH DESIGN prize recognizes 100 interior design examples that have enhanced the reputation of French design around the world.