There are few cities that capture the charm and imagination like Paris. Sure, the French capital is much more grittier and unapologetic than the typical picturesque images seen across social media. But there’s something about Paris that has drawn and cultivated some of the biggest artists across centuries. It comes as no surprise then, that Art Basel chose to nestle a fair in the City of Light, joining its flagships in Switzerland, Hong Kong and Miami Beach.
While the Paris iteration had previously opened in 2022 under the name Paris+ by Art Basel, this year’s edition is the first at the monumental Grand Palais. The inaugural Art Basel Paris will feature 194 galleries, including 51 first-time participants from across the globe, split into the Galeries, Emergence, Premise, Conversations and a Public Programs section that is in collaboration with a variety of cultural institution’s around the city, including the Palais d’Iéna, Petit Palais and Domaine national du Palais-Royal, amongst others.
“We’ve been waiting for this for such a long time,” Art Basel Paris director Clément Delépine said in a previous interview. New to this year’s fair is the Oh La La! initiative, inviting exhibitors to showcase rarely seen works in their booth for a duration of 48 hours, starting on Friday, October 18 — encouraging visitors to return to discover new works from the same galleries.
The city will be buzzing all weekend as Art Basel Paris is officially open until October 20. Please visit the fair’s website for tickets, programming, as well as some of our must-see booths below.
Almine Rech, Booth A16
(1-2) © 2024 The Estate Of Tom Wesselmann / Artists Rights Society (ars), New York. Courtesy Of The Estate And Almine Rech. Photo: Nicolas Brasseur. (3) © Ali Cherri. Courtesy Of The Artist And Almine Rech. Photo: Nicolas Brasseur.
(1-2) © 2024 The Estate Of Tom Wesselmann / Artists Rights Society (ars), New York. Courtesy Of The Estate And Almine Rech. Photo: Nicolas Brasseur. (3) © Ali Cherri. Courtesy Of The Artist And Almine Rech. Photo: Nicolas Brasseur.
(1-2) © 2024 The Estate Of Tom Wesselmann / Artists Rights Society (ars), New York. Courtesy Of The Estate And Almine Rech. Photo: Nicolas Brasseur. (3) © Ali Cherri. Courtesy Of The Artist And Almine Rech. Photo: Nicolas Brasseur.
Almine Rech is showcasing work from prominent and emerging artists, including Pablo Picasso, George Condo, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Inès Longevial, Kenny Scharf and Claire Tabouret, amongst others. In particular, the Parisian gallery will spotlight Lebanese artist Ali Cherrie’s Dreamer, a clay and wooden sculpture of a mythical figure with arms exaggerated towards the ground wearing an iron-cast mask. Also on view is a selection of oil paintings by pioneering American Pop artist Tom Wesselmann, including his Sitting Blonde with Tulips (2001) and Smoker #27 (1980).
Just a stones throw from the Grand Palais, Almine Rech recently unveiled a new solo exhibition by Light and Space master, James Turrell, including a new ethereal Glasswork installation that tinkers with viewers’ perception of space. Path Taken will be on view until December 21, 2024.
Almine Rech
18 Av. Matignon,
75008 Paris, France
Perrotin, Booth B35
Photo: Claire Dorn. © Adagp, Paris 2024. © 2024 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy Of Perrotin. © Izumi Kato. © Pierre Soulages.
Photo: Claire Dorn. © Adagp, Paris 2024. © 2024 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy Of Perrotin. © Izumi Kato. © Pierre Soulages.
Photo: Claire Dorn. © Adagp, Paris 2024. © 2024 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy Of Perrotin. © Izumi Kato. © Pierre Soulages.
Galerie Perrotin, which recently announced its plans to open a permanent space in London, will bring together an eclectic blend of contemporary figures, including Jean-Marie Appriou, Takashi Murakami, and Emma Webster, each of which is also exhibiting three solo shows at Perrotin Marais and Matignon. French artist Julian Charrière will unveil a new mural during the fair and an upcoming solo of his own, Stone Speakers – Les bruits de la terre, which opened today at Palais de Tokyo.
Additional artists on display include: Iván Argote, Daniel Arsham, Cristina BanBan, Hernan Bas, Anna-Eva Bergman, Sophie Calle, Chen Ke, Johan Creten, Mathilde Denize, Bernard Frize, Alex Gardner, Laurent Grasso, Hans Hartung, Thilo Heinzmann, John Henderson, JR, Izumi Kato, Klara Kristalova, Lee Bae, Jean-Michel Othoniel, GaHee Park, Paola Pivi, Pierre Soulages, Tavares Strachan, Claire Tabouret, Xavier Veilhan and Xiyao Wang.
Louis Vuitton and Frank Gehry Reunite
Courtesy Of Frank Gehry And Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy Of Frank Gehry And Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy Of Frank Gehry And Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy Of Frank Gehry And Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy Of Frank Gehry And Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton surprised art enthusiasts at last year’s Art Basel in Miami Beach with a special collaborative capsule with Frank Gehry that drew from the Canadian-American architect’s penchant for nature. As the fair shifts to the French maison’s home city, Gehry and Louis Vuitton are back to present a site-specific exhibition on the Balcon d’Honneur of the Grand Palais.
At the top of the staircase hangs a giant white fish sculpture that reflects Gehry’s shape-shifting design process, as well as the strength, suppleness and aerodynamics that define his structures. On display will be Gehry’s latest collection of bags with Louis Vuitton, from the Capucines Mini Blossom and Mini Puzzle bags to the Capucines MM Concrete Pockets, BB Shimmer Haze, and BB Analog — all of which subtly reference some of Gehry’s most iconic buildings, such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concrete Hall in Los Angeles.
White Cube, Booth B34
Courtesy Of The Artist And White Cube.
Courtesy Of The Artist And White Cube.
Courtesy Of The Artist And White Cube.
British gallery White Cube looks to bridge a dialogue between past and present by showcasing master works from the 20th century, including Josef Albers’ Study for Homage to the Square: Terraced (1954-56) with more recent artistic explorations, such as Sir Antony Gormley’s introspective sculpture STRAIN III (2023), Tracey Emin’s Ascension (2024) and Theaster Gates’ Dirty Silver, Tight Strata (2024).
Additional highlights include the latest edition of Salon, featuring Julie Mehretu’s architectonic Insile (2013), as well as paintings and sculptures by Julie Curtiss, Jean Dubuffet, Isamu Noguchi, the late-Park Seo-Bo and more.
Galerie Max Hetzler, Booth C33
Courtesy Of The Artist And Galerie Max Hetzler.
Courtesy Of The Artist And Galerie Max Hetzler.
Courtesy Of The Artist And Galerie Max Hetzler.
Stuttgart-founded Galerie Max Hetzler will present a largely painting-based selection of works, from 20th century icons in Bridget Riley and Albert Oehlen to chromatic compositions by André Butzer, Eddie Martinez and Katharina Grosse. Highlights include Tursic & Mille’s The damaged souvenir (after J-B Greuze) (2024) and Elmgreen & Dragset’s This Is How We Play Together, Fig. 2 (2023) — the latter sculpture showcasing a sitting boy gazing through a virtual reality headset.
Please visit Galerie Max Hetzler for its full Art Basel programming, as well as its suite of exhibitions across Europe.
