Paris+ par Art Basel broadens its presence in Paris with highly successful second edition and outstanding city-wide programming

Paris+ par Art Basel's second edition concluded today, once again showcasing the French capital's exceptional cultural dynamism and continued ascent as a global art market hub. Featuring 154 premier galleries including 61 operating spaces in France, the show offered a vibrant panorama of the country's thriving art scene, to which it further contributed with an expanded, freely accessible public program realized in collaboration with the city's world-class cultural institutions and unfolding across six storied Parisian locations. This second edition was emboldened by a strong showing of leading international participants from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including 15 galleries who joined Paris+ par Art Basel for the first time. The fair took place at the Grand Palais Éphémère from October 20 to 22, 2023 and attracted an overall attendance of 38'000 throughout its VIP and public days. The fair's next edition will unfold in the event's permanent venue, the iconic Grand Palais, from October 18 to 20, 2024.

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 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.

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 such a success. Together, we were able to present 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 already look forward 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 a number of works within the first minutes of the doors opening, with sales going to both 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's, 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 such 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 go 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 presentation in Europe. It was important for us 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 as well as 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 a large number of foreign collectors on the first day, as well as 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 very important 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 first day of the fair. 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 from all around the world has been incredible, and Lu Yang’s new video work has received enthusiastic responses from collectors, institutions, and visitors.’
Mathieu Borysevicz, Founder, Bank (Shanghai)

Galeries Émergentes

Dedicated to emerging galleries across the globe, Galeries Émergentes featured 14 solo presentations. Exhibitors included Bank (Shanghai), LC Queisser (Tbilisi), seventeen (London), Document (Chicago, Lisbon), and PM8 / Francisco Salas (Vigo), and others Supported by 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 2023. As part of the initiative, Marfa' will be reimbursed its fair participation fee.

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.

Public Program

Freely accessible to the public and realized 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 realized 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. The work is presented by Gagosian.

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 and was realized in collaboration with Centre Pompidou.

Source: Paris+ par Art Basel