The Most Frenzied Contemporary Art Fair, Art Basel Paris, Draws Art Lovers to the Grand Palais
Among the many art fairs taking place in the French capital this week, Art Basel Paris is arguably the most popular. For the very first time, the event will gather 195 galleries at the Grand Palais – whose stunning glass ceiling allows for the works to be bathed in natural light, enhancing the viewing experience. As you work your way through the packed building, you’ll catch a glimpse of Alfredo Jaar’s provocative neon lights or Idris Khan’s absorbing blue canvases, exhibited at Kamel Mennour’s booth. At the stand of the Continua gallery, visitors will be fascinated by the illusionary pieces of Julio Le Parc, a master of kinetic art. Last but not least, Henry Taylor offers us a new look at a more traditional medium, which he plays around with to give it a trashy feel.
This aesthete gathering extends beyond the walls, with events like Miu Miu’s Tales & Tellers exhibition at the Palais d’Iéna, or Jesse Darling’s “C’Mon England” site-specific installation of twisted ladders – a symbol of a failed ascent – at the Petit Palais.
But that’s not the finish line of this creative marathon, as Parisian public spaces also play host to art, starting with Carsten Höller’s giant mushroom, an ode to decomposition, which he decided to plant on the very luxurious Place Vendôme, or Yayoi Kusama’s curvaceous pumpkin on Avenue Winston Churchill.
We had the pleasure of meeting Clément Delépine, Klaus Biesenbach, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Emmanuel Perrotin, Camille Hernot, Kamel Mennour, and Camille Rowe.
Photos: Michaël Huard
