In a melting pot of art and culture, the second edition of Paris+ par Art Basel came to an exulting close, reaffirming the French capital’s position as a global epicentre of artistic innovation and market influence. With 154 premier galleries, including 61 esteemed spaces within France, the event showcased a vibrant tapestry of the nation’s burgeoning art scene.
Set against the iconic Grand Palais Éphémère backdrop, this year’s edition witnessed an impressive influx of leading international participants hailing from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Notably, 15 galleries debuted at Paris+ par Art Basel, underscoring the fair’s growing international prominence.
What set this edition apart was the remarkable artworks on display and the event’s expansive and freely accessible public program. In collaboration with Paris’s renowned cultural institutions, the fair unfolded across six storied locations, offering an immersive experience to art enthusiasts and visitors. This innovative approach broadened the fair’s cultural footprint and deepened its engagement with the vibrant city that hosted it.
Throughout its duration, the fair drew an impressive attendance of 38,000 individuals who witnessed the intersection of creativity, talent, and cultural diversity. From seasoned collectors to curious onlookers, the fair captivated a diverse audience, creating a unique space for artistic dialogue and appreciation.
Excitement builds for the fair’s next chapter as it moves to its permanent home, the illustrious Grand Palais, where it will unfold from October 18 to 20, 2024. As the art world eagerly anticipates this future instalment, Paris+ par Art Basel stands as a testament to the enduring allure of Paris as a cultural powerhouse and a beacon for artistic expression on the global stage.
Galleries reported strong sales across all market segments, including works by 20th-century masters such as Alexander Calder, Ed Clark, Niki de Saint Phalle, Leonor Fini, Jean Hélion, Aristide Maillol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Anna Zemánková; blue-chip contemporary artists such as Mark Bradford, Tracey Emin, Camille Henrot, Loie Hollowell, Lee Ufan, Wolfgang Tillmans, Yan Pei-Ming, and Flora Yukhnovich; mid-career practitioners such as Katinka Bock, Mohamed Bourouissa, Reggie Burrows Hodges, Sayre Gomez, Rachel Jones, Suki Seokyeong Kang, Jean-Luc Moulène, and Laure Prouvost; and emerging voices such as Jenna Bliss, Gaëlle Choisne, Elladj Lincy Deloumeaux, Karol Palczak, Nora Turato, Sophie Varin, Xie Lei, and Trevor Yeung.
Leading art patrons and private collectors from France, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and beyond were in attendance. Paris+ par Art Basel was also attended by representatives of more than 170 prestigious museums and foundations from across the globe, such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; Aspen Art Museum; Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, Paris; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Dia Art Foundation, Beacon; Fondation Beyeler, Riehen; Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C.; Istanbul Museum of Modern Art; K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong; KW – Institute of Contemporary Art, Berlin; Los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art (LACMA); M+, Hong Kong; MAXXI, Rome; MoMA PS1, New York; Musée d’Orsay, Paris; Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA), Buenos Aires; Museo Tamayo, Mexico City; National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, Seoul; National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo; Norval Foundation, Cape Town; Palais de Lomé; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Städel Museum, Frankfurt; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; and Tate, London. French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak and First Lady Brigitte Macron also visited Paris+ par, Art Basel.
What Sold:
Several million-dollar works exchanged hands on the VIP day, including a $6 million Kerry James Marshall painting at Zwirner (who also sold two $3 million works by Alice Neel and Marlene Dumas); a $2.35 million George Condo at Hauser and Wirth; and a $2 million Robert Rauschenberg at Thaddaeus Ropac.
A Rothko Painting at $40 million from the collection of Thomas H. Lee on the Pace’s stand was not sold. Xavier Hufkens the Brussels-based dealer had several major sales. Among the top works the dealer sold was Tracey Emin’s All the time I could Feel you, a 2023 acrylic on canvas, which sold for $750,000 ($911,000) to a private collection. The gallery sold Cecilia Vicuña’s Obstructing the Doors is Dangerous, a 2023 oil on canvas work, for $300,000. The new work shows a naked figure at center with text bearing the work’s titled flowing out of the figure’s mouth. The gallery also sold work by artists such as Leon Kossoff, Thomas Houseago, Thierry De Cordier, Qiu Xiaofei, Louise Bourgeois, and Sayre Gomez at prices ranging from $35,000 to $200,000.
What The Dealers Said:
Clément Delépine, Director of Paris+ par Art Basel, commented
, ‘I am deeply grateful to all the galleries, artists, patrons, institutional representatives, and partners who joined us for Paris+ par Art Basel’s second edition and made it a success. Together, we presented art of the highest quality, from the show floor to the Jardin des Tuileries, and the fair’s impact on the city’s cultural life is palpable. We look forward d to our arrival at the renovated Grand Palais in 2024, a move that we believe will anchor Paris+ par Art Basel even more firmly in the city’s creative landscape and amplify its resonance in the global art ecosystem.’
Participating exhibitors remarked on their experiences of the second edition: ‘We could sense a real enthusiasm in Paris as the cultural scene develops, assisted by the arrival of Art Basel and the public and private institutions who present outstanding exhibitions. The first few
hours of the fair seemed even busier this year, and we sold several works within the first minutes of the doors opening, with sales going to private and public collections.’
Serena Cattaneo Adorno, Senior Director, Gagosian (New York, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hong Kong, Paris, Athens, Rome, Basel, Geneva, Saanen, London)
‘Paris+ has once again exceeded our expectations. Though the first edition was remarkable, we were struck by the excellent level of the fair this year, which occurred in a very positive atmosphere. The international clientele, most particularly from Europe and Asia, was very well represented and was equally enthusiastic about Jean Claracq’s pieces, who is an established artist, but also by Nanténé Traoré, who, as a young photographer is making his first steps on the art market.’
Guillaume Sultana, Founder, Sultana (Paris, Arles)
‘Never before has a fair in Paris brought together such a high-quality audience and collectors from distant and varied regions: Indonesia, Korea, California… even more Americans in general. Paris has many facets to offer, and we had almost 1,200 visitors to the gallery in five days because collectors are looking for surprise and novelty in the primary market. There’s plenty on offer at the fair and in Paris. Despite the geopolitical uncertainties, this fair is the new place to find reliable artistic references and, let’s hope, open, optimistic conversations about the world.’
Niklas Svennung, Director, Chantal Crousel (Paris)
‘We presented a solo booth by Roberto Gil de Montes, his first European presentation. We needed to present a comprehensive overview of his practice, including paintings and works on paper. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, and we sold all the works on the booth, with prices ranging from $12,000 to $150,000. We sold to a global range of collections.’
Malik Al-Mahrouky, Partner/Sales Director, kurimanzutto (Mexico City, New York)
‘This week, with the inauguration of our brand-new gallery space in the 8th arrondissement and the opening of the second edition of Paris+, we celebrated Paris as a place that has welcomed, inspired, and nurtured generations of living artists but also as a capital of connoisseurship and collecting at the most astute, sophisticated, and ambitious levels. Our first day at the fair was tremendous, with a sold-out booth and major sales to foremost private and institutional collections in Paris and France and internationally.’
Marc Payot, President, Hauser & Wirth (Zurich, Gstaad, St Moritz, London, Somerset, Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, Monaco, Ciutadella de Menorca)
‘Our experience at the fair reflects the current energy in Paris: eminently dynamic!’
Frédérique Buttin Valentin, Director, Semiose (Paris)
‘This edition of Paris+ par Art Basel has been particularly productive and one of the busiest fairs we have seen for years. The international audience and the solid quality of the artworks on display reflect the growing significance of this fair that coincides with Paris’s art market revival.’
Martin Desfossés, Director, Vedovi Gallery (Brussels)
‘French, Italian, and Mexican institutions flocked to the show right from the start. In addition to strong sales, this year’s audience was of the highest quality: we welcomed many foreign collectors on the first day and new contacts. We look forward to a very promising follow-up.’
Sandrine Djerouet, Director and Partner, Jocelyn Wolff (Romainville)
‘It was an extremely lively opening with the presence of significant institutions. There is a very high quality to Paris+ par Art Basel and positive competition that always encourages us to do our best. There were a lot of interesting international collectors on the fair’s first day. We met foreign collectors who followed us from Art Basel in Basel, so there is positive feedback from one fair to another.’
Raffaella Cortese, Founder, Galleria Raffaella Cortese (Milan)
‘We are proud to be showing again in the Galeries Émergentes section alongside a great selection of galleries and projects of an extremely high standard. Continuing the tone and high expectations set last year, the fair is a platform for showing experimental projects on the highest stage.’
David Hoyland, Founder and Director, seventeen (London)
‘Our inaugural encounter with Paris + par Art Basel has been fantastic! Connecting with collectors worldwide has been incredible, and Lu Yang’s new video work has received enthusiastic responses from collectors, institutions, and visitors.’
Mathieu Borysevicz, Founder, Bank (Shanghai) For the complete list of statements from exhibitors, please click here.
Galeries Émergentes
Dedicated to emerging galleries, Galeries Émergentes featured 14 solo presentations. Exhibitors included Bank (Shanghai), LC Queisser (Tbilisi), seventeen (London), Document (Chicago, Lisbon), and PM8 / Francisco Salas (Vigo). Supported by the groupe Galeries Lafayette, artist Mohamad Abdouni, represented by Marfa’ (Beirut), was selected by a specially appointed jury to produce a new piece in the workshop of the Lafayette Anticipations – Fondation Galeries Lafayette. The new work will be exhibited at Lafayette Anticipations in 2024. Marfa’ will be reimbursed its fair participation fee as part of the initiative.
The jury was composed of Guillaume Houzé, President, Lafayette Anticipations; Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel, Director, Lafayette Anticipations; Ruba Katrib, Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, MoMA PS1; Diana Campbell Bétancourt, Artistic Director, Samdani Foundation and Dhaka Art Summit; as well as artist and fashion designer Akeem Smith, the 2022 laureate.
For the complete list of exhibitors in Galeries Émergentes, please visit parisplus.artbasel.com/galeries- emergentes.
Public Program
Freely accessible to the public and realised in collaboration with the City of Paris and local cultural institutions, Paris+ par Art Basel’s expanded, citywide public program featured three exhibitions, two monumental outdoor installations, and a series of talks and debates, presented in six iconic locations across the city. Select projects remain on view beyond the fair dates.
A group exhibition realised in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre, curated by Annabelle Ténèze, Director of the Louvre-Lens Museum, and titled ‘La Cinquième Saison’ (‘The Fifth Season’) was on view in the Jardin des Tuileries – Domaine National du Louvre. It brought together 25 artworks by artists from different generations and continents, including Alex Ayed, Claudia Comte, Nicène Kossentini, and Gaetano Pesce.
Two new venues were added to the program: The Palais d’Iéna, hosting a duo exhibition by Daniel Buren and Michelangelo Pistoletto through October 29, curated by art historian Matthieu Poirier and supported by Galleria Continua; and the Parvis de l’Institut de France, hosting a monumental textile sculpture by Sheila Hicks, presented by galerie frank elbaz in collaboration with Meyer Riegger and Massimo Minini, through October 25.
A multimedia installation by Jessica Warboys was on view at the Chapelle des Petits-Augustins des Beaux-Arts de Paris, presented by Gaudel de Stampa. A five-meter-high aluminum sculpture by Urs Fischer, titled Wave, will be shown on the Place Vendôme through December 1. Gagosian presents the work.
Curated for the second year by Pierre-Alexandre Mateos and Charles Teyssou, the show’s Conversations program took place at the Musée National Picasso – Paris. It was realised in collaboration with Centre Pompidou.
Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel, whose Global Lead Partner is UBS, today stages the world’s premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique. It is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art Basel’s engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through new digital platforms and initiatives like the Art Basel and UBS.
Paris+ par Art Basel’s Associate Partners are Louis Vuitton, Audemars Piguet and NetJets. Paris+ par Art Basel is also supported by Diptyque, Galeries Lafayette group as an Official Partner of the Galeries Émergentes sector, BMW as an Official Automotive Partner, and Vitra as an Official Furniture Partner. The Show’s Host Partners are Arshexa, Sanlorenzo and Guerlain, with Maison Ruinart as Official Provider and Esprit de France, Le Meurice, Park Hyatt Paris – Vendôme and Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris as Official Hotel Partners. For more information, please visit parisplus.artbasel.com/partners
Top Photo: Nico Kos-Earle © Artlyst 2023
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Upcoming Art Basel Shows
Miami Beach, December 7–9, 2023
Hong Kong, March 26–30, 2024
Basel, June 13-16, 2024