ART FAIRS:Art Paris Art Fair 2020
Every spring, Art Paris brings together 112 galleries from 15 different countries in an art fair that combines a regional exploration of European art from the post-war period to the present day with a cosmopolitan approach to art from other geographical horizons. Art Paris has a strong editorial line that is expressed throughout the fair’s different themes and sectors and which aims to encourage discovery and rediscovery. In so doing, it fosters passion for art in all its forms in a beautiful and convivial setting.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Art Paris Art Fair Archive
Postponed, cancelled, online… Art Paris 2020 has faced many twists and turns. But art fans are ultimately invited to discover the edition of the fair at the Grand Palais September 11-13, 2020. This edition of the fair, which can be qualified as an act of resistance, reflects Art Paris desire to support and showcase the work accomplished by galleries. According to fair director Guillaume Piens: “It is now more than ever time for galleries to get back to work and meet their collectors. It is just as important for their artists. The advantage of Art Paris is that it is above all a local and regional fair with a large majority of French galleries. 75 % of visitors to the fair come from the Paris region or other areas of France”. Each year, in support of the French scene, Art Paris invites a curator to engage critically and historically with a selection of projects by French artists presented by participating galleries. In “Common and Uncommon Stories”, independent curator and art critic Gaël Charbau brings together the work of 20 artists, most of which were born in the 1980s, responding to the notion of the narrative and the ambiguous interplay between singularity and universality in storytelling. He has also been invited to write a text presenting each artist and their work. Following its extensive survey of the Latin American scene in 2019, Art Paris turns to the Iberian Peninsula presenting “Southern Stars: An Exploration of the Iberian Peninsula”, that brings light to Spanish and Portuguese art from the 1950s to the present day. 18 galleries are presenting works by a selection of 50 artists – from modern masters to contemporary artists. In parallel, projects including a video programme, site-specific installations, and conferences at the Instituto Cervantes and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Paris will highlight the creative effervescence flourishing in this part of Southern Europe. Purposefully placed at the very heart of the Grand Palais, “Promises” sector hosts 14 young galleries from Abidjan, Brussels, Lima, Lisbon, Sofia, Marseilles and Paris, many of which will be exhibiting at Art Paris for the first time this year. The galleries will explore rarely represented art scenes, from Europe – in particular Bulgaria at Structura Gallery (Sofia); Africa, with 31 Project, Afikaris, Galerie Véronique Rieffel (Paris/Abidjan) and Septieme Gallery; and Latin America, represented by Galerie Younique (Lima/Paris). The galleries will each be presenting between one and three emerging artists – and benefit from financial sponsorship from the fair. Since 2015, Art Paris has encouraged the presentation of monographic exhibitions in “Solo Show”, a key moment in artists’ careers – by inciting galleries to present specific single artist-focused projects. The 2020 edition will feature 21 solo shows distributed throughout the fair.
Info: Artistic Director: Guillaume Piens, Art Paris Art Fair 2020, Grand Palais, 3 Avenue du Général Eisenhower, Paris, Duration: 10-13/9/2020, Days & Hours: Tue (10/9) & Sat-Sun (12-13/9) 12:00-20:00, Fri (11/9) 12:00-21:00, Admission 28€ / 14 € (students and groups), www.artparis.com
