Paris comes alive like never before on the occasion of the Art Week 2024transforming the City of Lights into the world capital of creativity. Between the monumental fair Art Basel Parisopen-air exhibitions, avant-garde performances and satellite fairs, there is something to satisfy all tastes. Here are five events not to be missed this week.
The Great Return of Art Basel to the Grand Palais
The Grand Palacefreshly renovated after welcoming the Olympic Gamesfinally reopens its doors for Art Basel Paris from October 18 to 20. This edition promises a dazzling program under its emblematic glass roofs, revealed for the first time in years. 195 galeries from 42 countries will exhibit captivating works, with 53 galleries participating for the first time. Divided into three main sections – “ Galleries », « Emergence » (for young galleries) and « Premise »which will offer unexpected dialogues between contemporary art and ancient works – this fair is distinguished by its richness and audacity. The highlight of the show? A special exhibition entitled Oh La La! exploring desire and eroticism, as well as an exclusive boutique with ultra-limited editions. Gourmets can also stop at the stand of Hong Kong Tourism Board pour savor local specialties in a typical cha chaan teng café atmosphere.
Art Basel also comes to the Palais-Royal
For this edition, the open-air collective exhibition of the Art Basel fair exceptionally leaves the Tuileries to settle in the Palace Royal from October 15 to 26, in collaboration with the Center of National Monuments. In this majestic setting, we can discover sculptures by big names such as Thomas Schütte, Ghada Amer, Césaror even Heinz Mack. Contemporary art lovers will also be delighted to discover works scattered across the city: a giant mushroom Carsten Höller will take pride of place at Place Vendôme, while Jean-Charles de Quillacq will take over the Petits-Augustins chapel at the Beaux-Arts de Paris. Around the Petit Palais, artists like Yayoi Kusama, John Chamberlain et Niki de Saint Phalle will beautify public spaces. Please note, two new places are joining the route this year: the Hôtel de Sully and the courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine, which will respectively host the works of Lynn Chadwick and Takis. And good news: these exhibitions are completely free!
Satellite fairs: A creative whirlwind
THE satellite fairs take advantage of the excitement of Art Basel Paris to carve out a place of choice in the city’s artistic agenda. Offscreenwhich makes a remarkable entry into the old Grand Garage Haussmannoffers a striking immersion in the art of the image, notably with the works of Carmen Calvowhich explore the condition of women in post-Franco Spain. Another must-have: Paris Internationalwhich presents 75 galleries in a former telephone exchange on rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière. For lovers of modern art, head to the Champs-Élysées for the Modern Art Fairwhile we can explore African creation at AKAA au Temple tileor even Asian art at Asia Now at Monnaie de Paris. As for Design Miami/Paris, it returns with an exhibition of avant-garde design on rue de l’Université in the 7th arrondissement.
Performances and immersive experiences across the capital
Art this week is also a question of experience. On October 15, the Chaillot theater will host a series of captivating performances from emerging artists from the collective Poshbased in Aubervilliers. On October 18, don’t miss the festival Long live Villa! at La Gaîté Lyrique, which highlights international artists who have stayed in residence at the Villa Medicithe House of Velázquez and other prestigious institutions. If you are looking for a more intimate project, theSaint-Eustache Church will serve as a backdrop for an in situ installation by Charlotte Simonnetwinner of the Rubis Mécénat 2024 prize, in collaboration with the local community. Finally, the Guerlain store on the Champs-Élysées will offer a fascinating Good Morning Korea exhibition, revealing 17 Korean artists in the enchanting setting of the perfume house, from October 15 to 20.
Key exhibitions in Parisian museums and galleries
Parisian institutions and galleries are taking full advantage of this week to unveil major exhibitions. There Commerce Exchange devotes an ambitious retrospective to Arte Povera, while the Pompidou Center highlights surrealism and presents the prize finalists Marcel Duchamp. For those looking for contemporary talent, the Perrotin gallery welcomes Takashi Murakami and Jean-Marie Appriou, and James Turrell offers an exceptional luminous immersion in the Gagosian space at Le Bourget. There Louis Vuitton Foundation presents a bold retrospective of the Pop Art with Tom Wesselmann, while the Palais de Tokyo offers an exploration of the works of Myriam Mihindou. Finally, lovers of historical art and literature will be able to follow a veritable marathon of exhibitions on Barbara Chase-Riboud, scattered in eight institutions, including the Louvre and Orsay, a monumental tribute to an artist as prolific as she is singular.
In short, the Art Week 2024 in Paris is a whirlwind of creativity that offers a multitude of unique experiences, from the most classic to the most avant-garde. A golden opportunity to experience Paris under the prism of contemporary art.
