For its third edition, Art Basel Paris, the Parisian version of the famous international art fair founded in 1970 in Basel, Switzerland, returns to the glass roof of the Grand Palais. From October 24 to 26, discover no fewer than 206 galleries, including 63 based in France. Among them, Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami presents a sprawling installation at the Louis Vuitton stand.
Takashi Murakami (Louis Vuitton), Salvador Dali (Di Donna), Daniel Arsham (Galerie Perrotin), Gerhard Richter (Vedovi Gallery and Zwirner), Fernand Léger (Galerie Le Minotaure), Jean Tinguely (George Philippe & Nathali Vallois), Jean-Michel Basquiat (Van de Weghe), Sonia Delaunay (Gia Marconi), Sylvie Fleury (Karma International), Paul Gauguin (Acquavella)… This is set to be a colorful edition.
Art Basel Paris, which begins this Friday, October 24, returns to the Grand Palais for the second time for three days. This worthy successor to FIAC, after forty years of loyal service, presents itself as the unmissable contemporary art event in the City of Light.
The fair is structured around three major sectors: Galleries, which presents the diversity of the exhibitors’ programs, Emergence, which is dedicated to emerging talents, and Premise, which showcases unique curatorial projects.
Among the highlights is a Public Program, supported by Miu Miu, spread across nine iconic venues, as well as collaborations with the creative industries of the city of Paris, notably the Oh La La! initiative, which this year is curated by Loïc Prigent.
As every year, the Ateliers d’art GrandPalaisRmn will be at their stand (M30) to unveil the new contemporary print from the Chalcographie du Louvre, created by artist Camille Henrot.
Reflecting the vitality of the art market, Art Basel Paris aims to be the catalyst for the French art market—the fourth largest in the world—accounting for 7% of global sales and more than half of the total value of the European Union.
Balcony of Honor
To celebrate the seventh edition of the Artycapucines program, which allows renowned artists to revisit Louis Vuitton‘s iconic Capucine bag, an installation worthy of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea takes place on the balcony of honor.
This giant inflatable octopus, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of Jules Verne’s death and which Captain Nemo might have encountered, is the work of Takashi Murakami.
A faithful companion of the LVMH group’s luggage maker for nearly 20 years, the Japanese pop artist, best known for his smiling flowers, revisits the coveted leather goods model. Among his creative offerings, the Mini Tentacle bag with an octopus clinging to the leather is well worth a look.
Newcomers
Of the 206 leading international galleries participating in this edition, thirteen are making their debut at this cultural extravaganza.
This is the case for the Parisian gallery Crèvecœur, which brings together Miho Dohi, Inès di Folco Jemni, Ernst Yohji Jaeger, Yu Nishimura, Louise Sartor, Naoki Sutter-Shudo, as well as rare works by Morikazu Kumagai. Rooted in the Japanese concept of mono no aware—the experience of impermanence—the presentation breaks new ground by departing from European pictorial and sculptural conventions. Works by French-Colombian painter Emma Reyes, whose career has mainly been based in Paris, are another highlight of the gallery.
Hailing from London, The Approach presents a group show featuring Anderson Borba, Jai Chuhan, Sara Cwynar, Sandra Mujinga, Paloma Proudfoot, and Mike Silva. Spanning painting, sculpture, photography, film, and installation, the works revisit central themes of the avant-garde—namely, the body, identity, memory, and social criticism—reimagining them in the present.
Another noteworthy gallery is the David Nolan Gallery, located in New York. This gallery showcases work on paper. Drawings by Hans Bellmer, Christina Ramberg, Martin Kippenberger, Dorothea Rockburne, and Nicole Eisenman reflect diverse avant-garde approaches to the body, space, and society across generations.
Another New York gallery participating in Art Basel Paris for the first time, Sikkema Malloy Jenkins presents a broad overview of its artists, including Louis Fratino, Jeffrey Gibson, Sheila Hicks, Teresa Lanceta, Jennifer Packer, Kara Walker, and Luiz Zerbini. From painting to textiles, ceramics, collage, and video, the presentation emphasizes diverse cultural perspectives that challenge and enrich dominant narratives.
Strolling through the city
Art Basel Paris is not limited to the Grand Palais and offers side paths to encounter artists and works that are just as creative.
With Italian brand Miu Miu (Prada Group) as its main partner, the public program invites visitors to explore nearly nine sites of cultural and artistic interest as complements to the Art Basel experience at the Grand Palais.
Among them, the courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine is home to Joël Andrianomearisoa’s “Les Herbes folles du vieux logis” (Wild Grasses of the Old House), while the Place Vendome presents “Kermit the Frog, Even” by Alex Da Corte. In addition, the forecourt of the Institut de France showcases Ugo Rondinone’s “The innocent,” and Avenue Winston Churchill hosts Arlene Shechet’s Dawn.
Furthermore, the Guerlain boutique on the Champs-Elysées is presenting an exhibition – En plein cœur – across its three floors, which is quite unusual. Around thirty artists are exhibiting paintings, photographs, videos, and sculptures. Also worth noting is the exhibition by photographer Prince Gyasi at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme hotel.
And still Gerhard Richter at the Louis Vuitton Foundation. A major figure in post-war painting, accustomed to challenging the boundaries between abstraction and figuration, the German painter is not only making a notable appearance at the stands of the Brussels-based Vedovi Gallery and the American Zwirner, but also has a retrospective that is not to be missed, running until March 2, 2026.
Read also > [Luxus Magazine] Prince Gyasi, the synesthetic artist with vibrant colors on iPhone
Featured photo: © Louis Vuitton
