Paris+ par Art Basel has concluded a highly successful debut edition marked by buoyant sales, vibrant city-wide programming, and strong attendance from international collectors and institutions.
The fair attracted an overall attendance of 40,000 throughout its VIP and public days. The show extended beyond the Grand Palais Éphémère through a dynamic program of collaborations with Paris’s cultural institutions and its city-wide sector Sites, which presented over 20 publicly accessible works and interventions in unique settings throughout the city.
Paris+ par Art Basel took place at the Grand Palais Éphémère from October 20 to 23, 2022. The inaugural edition of Paris+ par Art Basel brought together 156 premier galleries from 30 countries and territories – including 61 exhibitors with spaces in France – in a new flagship event that further amplifies Paris’s international standing as a cultural capital. A strong line-up of galleries from France was joined by exhibitors from across Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America, and the Middle East for a global showcase of the highest quality. Reaching beyond the Grand Palais Éphémère, the fair presented an active cultural program from morning to night, all week, and throughout the city through a robust schedule of collaborations with Paris’s cultural institutions and city-wide sector Sites.
The debut edition of Paris+ par Art Basel was attended by leading private collectors from France and across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, as well as museum directors, curators, and high-level patrons from approximately 140 cultural organisations including: Albertina, Vienna; Art Institute of Chicago; By Art Matters, Hangzhou; The Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, Paris; CAPC musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Dia Art Foundation, New York; Elgiz Museum, Istanbul; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris; Fondazione MAXXI, Rome; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.; ICA Boston; Jeu de Paume, Paris; Lafayette Anticipations, Paris; Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul; Les Abattoirs, Toulouse; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Mudam – The Contemporary Art Museum of Luxembourg; Munchmuseet, Oslo; Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon; Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal; Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris; Musée d’Orsay, Paris; Museo Tamayo, Mexico City; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; New Museum, New York; NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Serpentine Galleries, London; Tate, London; and Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, Warsaw.
What The Dealers Said:
‘Art Basel is the plus for Paris! The fair and its organisation have strongly reinforced Paris’s artistic energy. We are seeing more collectors from the U.S. and Asia; notably, sales are high, and the audience is eager to discover new talents and modern masters. I could not dream of more for Paris.’ Kamel Mennour, Founder, kamel Mennour (Paris)
‘It was an honour to be part of Art Basel’s first Paris edition, having participated in all of the fair’s locations for many successful years. The quality and number of significant international collectors remained high, and we placed several works in significant collections in the first few hours of the fair opening. Monika Sprüth and Philomene Magers, Co-owners, Sprü̈th Magers (Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York) Havana, Les Moulins, Paris, Rome)
‘I expected Paris+ par Art Basel to be a vibrant and dynamic fair, but now I think it should be called Paris+++. A great job in so little time! I engaged with people from Australia to Latin America and North America to Asia at the fair. Paris is at the heart of these beautiful and diverse connections. It is a great sign to see President Macron and Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak come to support the fair and its galleries. It shows that culture in France is at the centre of the current agenda, and it places France at the centre of culture in the world!’ .’ ‘I expected Paris+ par Art Basel to be a vibrant and dynamic fair, but now I think it should be called Paris+++. A great job in so little time! At the fair I engaged with people from Australia to Latin America, from North America to Asia. Paris is at the heart of these beautiful and
diverse connections. Seeing President Macron and Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak come to support the fair and its galleries is a great sign. It shows that culture in France is at the center of the current agenda, and it places France at the center of culture in the world!’ Lorenzo Fiaschi, Director, Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, São Paulo, Beijing,
James Thurber once said that “the whole of Paris is a vast university of art,” and this first Paris+ fair week confirms those words remain true. For us at Hauser & Wirth, the atmosphere is particularly inspiring as we’re preparing our new Paris space to open next year. Our stand at Paris+ reflected our delight in being here and our commitment to art of the highest calibre through a concise selection of museum-quality works by gallery artists, each represented by the very best of their oeuvre. And it was clear on this first day of the fair that collectors and curators had gotten the assignment: Major works went quickly within the first few hours of Day 1.’ Marc Payot, President, Hauser & Wirth (Hong Kong, Ciutadella de Menorca, Gstaad, St. Moritz, Zurich, London, Somerset, Los Angeles, New York)
‘Paris+ was beyond expectations; it’s a fair which brought us all together again in the most elegant and transformative way. The sales were to A-plus collectors and foundations that we haven’t seen in a few years, and the fair reminded us of the before times. We want to thank the Art Basel team for creating such a significant fair in such a short period, further building upon the foundation that FIAC established.’ Lisa Spellman, Owner and Director, 303 Gallery (New York)
‘We were thrilled by the energy of the fair and impressed by the global cross-section of great collectors we saw on the first day – the most astute Europeans and Americans and great Asian clients. Paris has always been an art capital and a place our partners consider a second home, but this week we felt a new momentum. And so LGDR’s focus for this first edition of Paris+ was on quality, with works by modern and contemporary artists that are the ne plus ultra of their oeuvres. The response to our presentation was fantastic, with many works on our stand sold, and just as important, so many marvellous conversations made possible by the fair’s atmosphere – neither too grand nor too intimate, but just right.’ Amalia Dayan, Co-Founder, LGDR (New York, Hong Kong, Paris, London)
‘The inaugural Paris+ par Art Basel has been a success for us, and I believe for many of our colleagues, too. The early crowd was reminiscent of a typical Art Basel preview day, with collectors coming from all over Europe and the US, and we were pleased to see so many collectors from Asia in person again. We were especially happy to have conversations with many major international museum directors and curators. As always, the exhibitions in Paris in both the museums and galleries are superb, including Joan Mitchell at Fondation Louis Vuitton, Alice Neel at the Centre Pompidou, and Josef & Anni Albers at MAM Paris. This all bodes very well for the future of Paris+ par Art Basel.’David Zwirner, Owner, David Zwirner (New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong)
‘This first edition was particularly dynamic for us and very satisfying! We were sold out from the very first day and placed works with American, Belgian, French, Mexican, and South African collectors. Many of the works entered the collections of foundations and museums.’ Loïc Garnier, Paris Director, Ceysson & Bénétière (Paris, Saint-Etienne, Lyon, Koerich, New York) ‘We are so proud to have participated in the inaugural edition of Paris+ par Art Basel. The sales were significant, and the energy throughout the fairgrounds and the city were fantastic to experience. We are incredibly grateful for the support and organisation of the fair, now in this new city.’ Max Falkenstein, Senior Partner, Gladstone Gallery (New York, Brussels, Rome, Seoul)
‘It was one of the best fairs the gallery has participated in, not only from a sales perspective. We were delighted to see many collectors worldwide, American trustees and French collectors.’ Jérôme Poggi, Founder, Galerie Jérôme Poggi (Paris)
‘The arrival of Art Basel to Paris has undoubtedly added great momentum to the ecosystem of the French capital. We saw much more international attendance at the fair, with strong and consistent sales. Paris has so much to offer, and we are happy to be a part of this city’s comeback. ‘Mathieu Paris, Senior Director, White Cube (London, Hong Kong)
‘With the concentration of international collectors, curators, and art world players, everyone seems to be in Paris and Paris+ par Art Basel has increased the attractiveness of the city’s art market. For some time, Paris has been experiencing a strong renaissance and has gained an important role as an art world capital. Paris+ was a strong sign for this.’Thaddaeus Ropac, Founder, Thaddaeus Ropac (London, Paris, Salzburg, Seoul)
‘We were delighted to reconnect with several collectors, particularly from Hong Kong. We have not seen Southeast Asia for some time due to travel restrictions. The network of Paris+ par Art Basel collectors is of high quality. Paris is booming, with major galleries that used to shun the French capital moving in and private foundations multiplying.’ Anna Kraft, Director, Galerie frank Elbaz (Paris)
‘Artists and collectors have always been particularly drawn to Paris for its art historical importance and cultural resonance. Many of our artists were keen to place their works in prestigious French collections. With the excitement around the inaugural edition of this fair, they have put forward both new and historically important works. This has been greatly appreciated by local collectors and those from far and wide.’ Serena Cattaneo Adorno, Director, Gagosian (Geneva, Basel, Gstaad, Rome, Athens, Hong Kong)
‘The increase in the quality of the works presented and the profile of the players led to a higher number of sales. Furthermore, the installation by Ashley Hans Scheirl and Jakob Lena Knebl at the entrance to our booth, echoing the Austrian Pavilion at the last Venice Biennale, will join the prestigious collection of one of the leaders in the tech industry. It will also result in exhibitions in several institutions for this duo, whose work will be shown next year at the Palais de Tokyo and in the Falckenberg Collection in Hamburg.’ Hervé Loevenbruck, Founder, Loevenbruck (Paris)
‘Paris is buzzing. Art Basel’s debut undoubtedly confirmed the city’s status as an art capital. This was echoed by the numerous extraordinary exhibitions across town – not least the important show of Alice Neel at the Centre Pompidou, on the artist’s political and social engagement – and strong sales and international attendance at Paris+.’Xavier Hufkens, Owner and Founder, Xavier Hufkens (Brussels)
‘A great success for the first edition of the Art Basel fair in Paris. We witnessed a profusion of international clients from all over the world, an audience rarely seen at an event of this type in Paris. This first edition probably announces the comeback of Paris at the centre of the art market.’ Emanuel Layr, Founder, Layer (Vienna)
‘With this first edition of Paris+ by Art Basel, we have seen a real improvement in the quality of the works exhibited, with collectors coming from all over the world: this has resulted in a real emulation which allowed us to say, on Friday afternoon, that the fair is already a success.’
Nathalie Obadia, Founder, Galerie Nathalie Obadia (Paris, Brussels) ‘
We are happy with our participation in Paris+. There is a strong dynamic at the fair; we notice the presence of many collectors, notably of a new generation, which is very interesting. And there was no transaction slowdown, even three days after the opening. All in all, an excellent edition! Pietro Spartà, Founder, Galerie Pietro Spartà (Chagny)
‘I am thrilled to have taken part in the first edition of Paris+ par Art Basel. This is another exceptional platform that the organiser provided, allowing me to showcase our Japanese artists to a wider group of European and international audiences. The fair has already proven to be a global key meeting point for the art community. I am glad to connect and engage with the sophisticated and emerging collectors in this city and beyond.’ Atsuko Ninawaga, Owner and Director, Take Ninagawa (Tokyo)
‘We were surprised by the number of First Choice guests and collectors, which is exceptional per square meter. We had visitors from the United States, Latin America, China, and Turkey. We have never had such a rush or excitement in Paris.’Anne-Claudie Coric, Executive Director, Templon (Paris, Brussels)
Galeries Émergentes ‘It was a thrill for us to have such a positive reception during the opening hours of the inaugural Paris+ par Art Basel from international collectors and curators. Having done FIAC for a decade, I am thrilled to keep the gallery’s French presence alive with Paris+.’ Jessica Silverman, Founder, Jessica Silverman (San Francisco)
‘We were thrilled to participate in the inaugural edition of Paris+ par Art Basel, which has Our gallery presentation, programme, and artists brought greater attention and visibility. We are even more delighted that Akeem Smith, at our booth, has been selected to carry out a special commission as part of the fair’s partnership with the Galeries Lafayette group and whose work will be supported through the production of a new piece in the workshops of Lafayette Anticipations.’ Pauline Seguin, Founder, Heidi (Berlin)
‘We are delighted about the first edition of Paris+ par Art Basel, which we think was incredibly well organised. We had a lot of insightful conversations, and participating in the fair was a decisive step in the development of the gallery.’ Oswaldo Nicoletti, Founder, Nicoletti (London)
‘We are very proud we were able to show Jessy Razafimandimby in such an important context for the Paris art scene. The fair went very well for us; we sold works from the booth and our inventory to many foreign collectors we met for the first time.’ Marie Madec, Director, sans titre (Paris)
‘The fair vastly exceeded our expectations. Our booth by London-based Patrick Goddard sold out within hours on the first day. We have had incredible conversations about the artist’s practice. But, crucially, the impressive quality of engagement with Goddard’s work is a testament to what Paris+ is offering.’ David Hoyland, Founder and Director, seventeen (London) ‘Paris+ par Art Basel is one of the best fairs we’ve participated in since opening the gallery. The emerging section, which we were a part of, was small but very strong, and we were honoured to be present.’ Beatrice Beugelmans, Assistant Director, Chris Sharp Gallery (Los Angeles)
Galeries Émergentes
Dedicated to emerging galleries across the globe, Galeries Émergentes featured 16 solo presentations. Exhibitors included Antenna Space from Shanghai, Instituto de visión from Bogotá and New York, LC Queisser from Tbilisi, Marfa’ from Beirut, Parliament from Paris, Galeria Dawid Radziszewski from Warsaw, sans titre from Paris, and Veda from Florence. Supported by Groupe Galeries Lafayette, artist Akeem Smith, represented by Heidi in the sector, 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 2023. As part of the initiative, Heidi will be reimbursed its fair participation fee.
The jury was composed of Guillaume Houzé, Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel, Myriam Ben Salah, Agnes Gryczkowska, and Jean-Marie Appriou. The show’s city-wide sector featured publicly accessible works in emblematic settings throughout the city, including the Jardin des Tuileries – Domaine national du Louvre, as well as Place Vendôme, musée national Eugène-Delacroix, and Chapelle des Petits-Augustins des Beaux-Arts de Paris. Organised in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre and curated by Annabelle Ténèze, Director of Les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie Toulouse, the exhibition titled ‘La Suite de l’Histoire’ brought together large-scale works in the scenic grounds of the Jardin des Tuileries and a solo project by Thaddeus Mosley in the landscaped garden at the musée national Eugène-Delacroix. The exhibition marked the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in France and was presented by Karma.
Top Photo Courtesy Paris+ par Art Basel