On Wednesday, October 16th, Art Basel Paris 2024 opened its doors under the majestic glass roof of the Grand Palais (the largest in Europe). An edition that reassured the art world about the state of its market and confirmed Paris’s grand return to the international scene.
Paris claims its status as the artistic capital of Europe
On Monday, the heart of the capital started to beat to the rhythm of Paris Art Week. Collectors and enthusiasts made their way through the streets of the 8th arrondissement to attend one opening after another. As usual, blue chip galleries joined the party : Emmanuel Perrotin added some color to the October gloom by exhibiting the work of Takashi Murakami, while Kamel Mennour, a few meters away, presented those of Dhewadi Hadjab. This decision, from the gallery owner, to showcase French contemporary art was very well perceived. Galleria Continua, meanwhile, wisely set up in the walls of the Tornabuoni gallery. But the two exhibitions to remember are those of White Cube and Hauser & Wirth. The former celebrated the paintings of Sylvia Snowden through a selection of stunning expressionist works, while the latter honored star artist Rashid Johnson. This in anticipation of his major exhibition at the Guggenheim (A Poem for Deep Thinkers, from April 18, 2025, to January 18, 2026).
Auction houses also got involved : Christie’s presented three sales of 19th, 20th, and 21st-century art, with results fetching 80 million euros a few days later. Without being ecstatic, the sales were supported by a solid selection of works by established artists (Zao Wou Ki, Joan Mitchell, Lucio Fontana, Nicolas de Staël, Alberto Giacometti…) whose results were in line with their estimates ranging from 1.3 millions to 6 million euros. To be mentioned: the sale of a Kota sculpture by the Master of Sébé, acquired in 1918 from famous dealer Paul Guillaume, reached 2,097,000 euros. A result well above its estimate of 600,000/800,000 euros, proving once again that provenance is essential when it comes to African art. As for Sotheby’s, it opened its doors to its new space: a grand rehearsal before its big opening on Wednesday. Indeed, two days later, the auction house inaugurated the 83 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and former address of the Bernheim-Jeune gallery. A strategic choice that places Sotheby’s in the middle of the avenue Matignon, the new hotspot in the Parisian scene; taking the auction house away from the countless security measures implemented by the Elysée (the presidential residency). The space was designed to meet the new standards of international clients, and the first results were not long in coming. On the evening of the opening, the art world flocked to attend an evening that cleverly played with the codes of surrealism. The three subsequent sales approached 60 million euros, with a selection of major signatures that attracted the interest of selective collectors. Two significant works by Jean Dubuffet: Francis Ponge Jubilation (1947) and Visiteur au Chapeau bleu (1955) both exceeded 6 million euros, while two paintings by René Magritte from 1947: La Leçon de Choses and L’incendie went above3 million euros.
Art Basel 2024: A well-managed edition
On Wednesday, the fair opened its doors in an optimistic and, above all, much healthier atmosphere: all market players seemed eager to put art back at the center of conversations. As often, gallery owners favored artists with institutional exhibitions. It was therefore no surprise to find on the stands of Gagosian, Almine Rech, and the Vedovi gallery, three painting from the Tom Wesselmann’s Smoker series. The artist is currently on display at the Vuitton Foundation (Pop Forever, until February 24th, 2025). The influence of the Arte Povera exhibition at the Collection Pinault (until January 20, 2025) was also felt: Michelangelo Pistoletto at Galleria Continua, Giuseppe Penone at Marian Goodman, Jannis Kounellis at Lelong & Co., Alighiero Boetti at the Tornabuoni Gallery, Pier Paolo Calzolari at Kamel Mennour… Many other well-known names to art lovers were also present: Alicja Kwade at Mennour, Claire Tabouret at Almine Rech… The Templon gallery, meanwhile, presented a work by Chiharu Shiota in anticipation of her exhibition at the Grand Palais next December. Once on the first floor, one could discover a selection of emerging galleries offering a refreshing selection at affordable prices: many works were offered between 2,000 and 10,000 euros. Enough to allow young collectors to enter an art market often perceived as unaffordable.
In parallel with the fair, art invested several emblematic places in Paris, strengthening the link between Art Basel and the city. Exhibitions and installations were presented at the Palais d’Iéna, Place Vendôme, and the Petit Palais, among others. This program allowed a wider audience to be reached and created enriching dialogues between the works and visitors. Among the notable events, the Palais d’Iéna hosted the Miu Miu’s project “Tales & Tellers” by Goshka Macuga, while the Place Vendôme received the sculpture “Giant Triple Mushroom” by Carsten Höller (Gagosian). The Petit Palais collaborated with Art Basel to present the installation “C’mon England” by Jesse Darling.
Vibrant satellite fairs
The strength of Paris also lies in the number and the vitality of its satellite fairs. Far from being mere “Salons des Refusés,” each has found its niche and made a statement. Moderne Art Fair strategically positioned itself at the foot of the Grand Palais. Thema and Design Miami took over two beautiful private houses on rue de l’Université. Magnificent settings for a selection of furniture that easily makes one dream. Two other fairs also came closer: Paris International and NADA, but this time to play the card of young contemporary creation. The former, as usual, took over a building under renovation and did a selection in favor of experimental artistic approaches. NADA positioned itself in a slightly more mainstream segment, but still of quality, to attract the interest of a wider audience. Also noteworthy are the two fairs Asia Now (contemporary Asian art) and AKAA (contemporary African art), which are now well established in the circuit. Special mention to Offscreen, which offers another perspective on our relationship with images.
Finally, other projects stood out during this week: Private Choices, the project by Nadia Candet, took over the 40 rue Paul Valéry in anticipation of a special edition dedicated to photography in November (alongside Paris Photo). Also noteworthy is the work of Pablo Reinoso presented by Carlos Sicilia at Liaigre. Another pleasant surprise from the curator who impressed last year with the monumental installation by Tadashi Kawamata.
Ink & Voices 