ART FAIRS: Art Paris 2022 Solo Shows

Since it was inaugurated in 1998, Art Paris Art Fair has become a highlight on the International Art calendar and a major event on the Paris scene. In 2006, Art Paris was one of the first events to take up its quarters under the glass roof of Grand Palais, and has been back every year. Boosted by the success of the September 2021 edition that inaugurated the Grand Palais Éphémère and with a record-breaking 72,745 visitors, Art Paris is back from 7 to 10 April 2022 with a strong selection of 130 modern and contemporary galleries from some twenty different countries.

By Efi MIchalarou
Photo: Art Paris Archive

Art Paris 2022  will be bring together 130 modern and contemporary art galleries. Both regional and cosmopolitan, this 24th edition will be presenting a selection of 17 solo shows. Spread throughout the fair, these monographic exhibitions allow visitors to discover or rediscover in depth the work of modern, contemporary and emerging artists. Galerie Eric Linard is shining a light on the psychedelic pop period of Antoine de Margerie (1941-2005) and more particularly his gradual transition towards abstraction in the 1960s/70s. Exploring abstraction and the whole gamut of possibilities offered by painting is at the heart of the work of Spanish artist Carlos León on the stand of Galeria Fernando Pradilla. Ernest Pignon-Ernest pays tribute to poets from Rimbaud to René Char with a selection of drawings and portraits at Art to Be Gallery, whereas Galerie Catherine Issert has given carte blanche to Jean-Charles Blais, who has selected an ensemble of works in which “each painting follows on from the previous one, producing its continuation by combining all that has gone before”. In tune with this edition’s theme of nature and the environment, Vincent Laval both defends and portrays the forest in his brilliant and poetic sculptures on show at Galerie Sono, whereas at the booth of Le Feuvre & Roze, Julien Colombier has recreated an attractive and yet disturbing jungle as part of an immersive installation in pastel. Galerie Bessières is exhibiting works by Hala Schoukair, whose organic and mineral creations that evoke the smallest parts of nature are born from the meticulous repetition of a single motif. The African art scene takes centre stage with a solo show focusing on South African “visual activist” Zanele Muholi at Galerie Carole Kvasnevski. The exhibit features Muholi’s paintings, a new medium for the artist, which explore the themes of identity, gender and the representation of black people throughout history. Hailing from Casablanca, Loft Art Gallery will be presenting the colourful, fabric adorned, mixed media collages of Marion Boehm, whose series “intercultural nomads” examines the relationship between African and Western cultures. Questions of politics and identity are expressed in the photographic portraits of migrants veiled in boldly patterned fabrics by Yemeni artist Alia Ali at 193 Gallery. Shagha Ariannia addresses the same questions in her brightly coloured paintings that scrutinise the body and its desires on the stand of SEPTIEME Gallery. The current effervescence in figurative painting is apparent in the mysterious, narrative world of Chinese artist Rao Fu at Galerie Vazieux, the trompe-l’oeil, oil on canvas still-lifes of American artist Tyler Thacker (Galerie Pact) and the naïve, disproportionate figures of Tony Toscani (Stems Gallery), which are inspired by the history of art, whilst embodying the melancholy of disillusioned youth. Finally, the photographic installations of Thomas Devaux exhibited by Galerie Bacqueville instil a contemplative mood and encourage a spiritual interpretation that is a far cry from the realities of consumer society, whereas the smartphone images found on the web and manipulated by Alina Frieske (Fabienne Levy Gallery) have a whole new story to tell.

Artists: Alia Ali, Shagha Arianna, Jean-Charles Blais, Marion Boehm, Julien Colombier, Thomas Devaux, Alina Frieske, Philippe Hiquily, Vincent Laval, Carlos León, Antoine de Margerie, Zanele Muholi, Ernest Pignon-Ernest, Rao Fu, Hala Schoukair, Tyler Thacker, Tony Toscani

Info: Art Paris 2022, Grand Palais Éphémère, Plateau Joffre, Paris, France, Duration: 7-10/4/2022, Tue & Sat-Sun (7 &9-10/4) 12:00-20:00. Fri (8/4)12:00-21:00, Admission: Tue & Fri: € 25 / € 14 for students and groups, Sat-Sun:  Saturday & Sunday: € 30 / € 16 for students and groups, 2-day pass: € 35 / € 20 for students and groups, Free entry for children under 10 years old, www.artparis.com