The Groove 206 - Paris Is Always a Good Idea
Welcome to the 206th issue of The Groove.
I am Maria Brito, an art advisor, curator, and author based in New York City.
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PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
Art Basel Paris inaugural fair at Le Grand Palais last week.
Last week Art Basel made its debut in its new (but old) permanent Parisian location, Le Grand Palais. The name of the fair transitioned from “Paris+ par Art Basel” held in 2022 and 2023 at the Grand Palais Éphémère. (Not the greatest venue, but an understandable makeshift while the 124-year-old Le Grand Palais finished its renovations.)
The question of more and more art fairs has been one that I have discussed at length with friends, collectors and colleagues in the art business. Do we really need this many? Are collectors reproducing as fast as all these galleries and their many thousands of artists? And while my answer is usually no, what the Art Basel brand and its incredibly dedicated team of people has done to expand the reach of these galleries and artists all over the world is quite a major accomplishment.
The VIP opening day on Wednesday was packed to the brim with collectors, curators, advisors and onlookers from all five continents. There were sales happening at all levels, from a $22.5 million Louise Bourgeois spider sculpture shown by Hauser & Wirth to fantastic works on paper by Swedish artist Martin Jacobson for €3,000 apiece presented by Andréhn-Schiptjenko.
One of the many wonderful watercolors by Swedish artist Martin Jacobson at the booth of Andréhn-Schiptjenko.
Among the 200 galleries from 45 different countries, there were a couple dozen emerging ones on the second floor, so the fair wasn’t catering to just the ultra-rich. The Grand Palais was attended by 65,000 people from Wednesday to Sunday, according to Art Basel’s last-day press release. Even the president of France, Emanuel Macron, and his wife Brigitte, attended the fair (but not on VIP day). (By the way, I always see Macron’s pictures at parties, openings and social events, and yet no American president has ever been to Art Basel in Miami. That’s a discussion for another day.)
There were also many satellite fairs with far more modest price points, including Paris Internationale, which has been ongoing since 2015. Others included The Salon by NADA, which debuted this year; OFFSCREEN, which shows image and photography-based artists; Asia NOW, dedicated to contemporary Asian artists and many more.
Two paintings by French artist Carlotta Bailly-Borg at the booth of Ruttkowski68, at the Salon by NADA.
The art shows in museums were also off the charts: the Tom Wesselmann retrospective at the Foundation Louis Vuitton called “Pop Forever” and contextualized with other artists that have been influenced by Wesselmann, like Yayoi Kusama and Mickalene Thomas, was outstanding. Honestly, I would much rather have preferred to see Wesselmann alone, but it’s customary for Bernard Arnault to mix artists in his grand shows. Last year it was Rothko, but there were some Giacomettis thrown in the mix; two years ago, was Monet-Mitchell; before that Warhol-Basquiat.
There is also the Jackson Pollock early-years exhibition at the Musée Picasso, showing a rare and more cubist phase of Pollock which was deeply influenced by Picasso. I also enjoyed a large surrealist survey at the Pompidou celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the movement, which includes many masterpieces by some of the most important surrealists: Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dali, Dorothea Tanning, Max Ernst, Rene Magritte and all the big names of that era.
Part of the 60 meter collage mural by Malala Andrialavidrazana at Palais de Tokyo.
I was particularly blown away by an installation at Palais de Tokyo by Malala Andrialavidrazana, who's originally from Madagascar but now lives in Paris. The collage mural measures almost 60 meters in length (almost 200 feet) and shows a dynamic form of art that thrives on the clash and combination of opposing elements. Dada artists first embraced this once informal technique during World War I, and ever since, collage has reemerged whenever society faces significant turmoil. Besides the fantastic collage mural, there are several interactive screens that serve as mediators between you and each of the important elements the artist added to her work: ranging from maps of the 18th and 19th centuries to cliche iconography and bank notes. When you click on the elements on the screen, an explanation of where they come from pops up in French and in English.
Of course, the consistent debate was if Paris is now luring people away from Frieze, which takes place the week before in London. And honestly my answer is yes. No offense to London, which is a wonderful city full of great collectors and extraordinary museums and galleries. But for those of us with limited time, Paris is always a good, or if I may, better idea.