ART FAIRS:Art Paris 2018
In 2018, Art Paris Art Fair will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. True to its original vocation to support the French art scene, the Fair will be juxtaposing the subjective, historical and critical perspective of a Curator, with a selection of specific projects focusing on artists in France who, both in the past and today, have managed to preserve their independence from dominant trends, or were situated on the margin of mainstream art history.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Art Paris 2018 Archive
The 20th Edition of Art Paris Art Fair hosts 140 Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries. Art Paris Art Fair 2018 bring together 140 galleries that present more than 990 artists from 73 countries providing an overview of European art from the post-war years to the current day, while leaving room for the new horizons of international creation from Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.Since 2015 the Solo Show Sector has been encouraging the presentation of 35 monographic exhibitions spread throughout the fair. The sector Promises is located in the centre of the Grand Palais, hosts 12 young galleries that are under six years of existence. They may present up to three artists. In partnership with L’art est vivant and The Fine Art Collective, Art Paris Art Fair launched a new prize in 2017 that aims to support a young talent, represented by one of the galleries in the Promises sector, at a key moment in his/her career. Since 2012, Art Paris Art Fair is exploring foreign art scenes that have never, or are only rarely presented in France. Switzerland is the 2018 guest of honour. The guest of honour 2018 is both the birthplace of major contemporary artists and a place at the crossroads of different traditions and cultures. Switzerland is a country that counts in the art world. If the ‘new Swiss art scene’ in the 90s, led by figures such as”John Armleder, Pipilotti Rist,Thomas Hirschhorn, Peter Fischli & David Weiss or Ugo Rondinone, has gained its place in international museums, what about today’s young generation of artists? This spotlight on Switzerland promotes the wealth and diversity of the young Swiss scene through a selection of galleries and artists that are completely unknown or seldom seen in France. The tribute also includes a programme of videos, a section devoted to artist’s books and special projects that will provide different perspectives on this country. As part of the Switzerland Guest of Honour programme, the Project Room provides a forum for video art produced by 25 Swiss women artists from different generations. It conceptually brings together the history of art and Swiss civil history: the arrival of this new medium in Switzerland in the 70s coincided with women acquiring the right to vote, which was introduced on a federal level in February 1971. 20 Years-An overview of the French art scene: For its 20th anniversary and in reference to its initial vocation of supporting the French art market, Art Paris Art Fair asked exhibition curator and art critic François Piron to take a subjective look at the French art scene. The idea was to select 20 artists from among the projects presented by participating galleries and to produce an in-depth textual analysis of their work. His choice puts the spotlight on some unique figures from the 1960s to the present day, artists who have managed to preserve their independence, or stayed on the margins of mainstream culture and whose work today deserves both to be reinterpreted and enjoy greater visibility. Artists: A.C.M, François Arnal, Geneviève Asse, Bernard Aubertin, Blek le Rat, Pierrette Bloch, Leonardo Cremonini, Hervé Di Rosa, Vincent Gicquel, Hessie, Carlos Kusnir, Vera Molnar, Tania Mouraud, Frédéric Pardo, Jean Raine, Jean-Pierre Raynaud, Bernard Rancillac, Roland Topor, Yves Trémorin and Marie-Thérèse Vacossin. Bus Expo: the Air France airport busses will feature temporary exhibitions of 5 artists selected from among the Solo Shows at the fair, as part of the Bus Expo Project. The aim is to make Contemporary art accessible to the widest possible audience.
Info: Art Paris Art Fair 2018, Fair DirectorDirector: Guillaume Piens, Grand Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris, Days & Hours: Wed (4/4) 18:00-22:00 (by invitation only), Thu & Sat (5 & 7/4) 1:30-20:00, Fri (6/4) 11:30-21:00, Sun (8/4) 11:30-19:00, Catalogue: €20, Entrance fee: Adults and children over age 10: €25, Students and groups of 10 or more: €12, Free admission for children under age 10, www.artparis.com
