Closing summary

From September 9 to 12, the fair brought together 140 galleries from 23 different countries in a new venue, the Grand Palais Éphémère on the Champ-de-Mars, with a dazzling selection of works presented by the exhibiting galleries, including several prestigious first-time participants such as Galleria Continua and Thaddaeus Ropac. All eyes are currently on Paris, a city that is undergoing a profound cultural renaissance, and the stars seemed to have aligned to make this 23rd edition of Art Paris a truly exceptional one.

There was a palpable feeling of excitement right from the vernissage, when collectors and directors of French cultural institutions eagerly waited for the doors to open on a gorgeous sunny day. In the aisles, people murmured: “Everybody’s here!” and both the special opening day “Digital Art, NFT and the Art Market” conferences organised by Danae.io and Sarah Trouche’s poetic performance Attrape-Lune were full to the walls.

Art Paris finally closed its doors on Sunday evening in a cheerful atmosphere buzzing with energy marked by an all-time-record number of visitors: 72,756 (compared to 56,000 in 2020 and 63,257 in 2019), in other words an increase of more than 28% compared to 2020 (during the pandemic) and 15% compared to 2019, which was a landmark year for the fair.

All of the galleries had mainly sold to new clients, most of whom were French. This confirms that French collectors had indeed rallied in support of an extraordinary edition that will go down in the history of the fair. They also pointed to the presence of numerous representatives of institutions and “high-end” collectors, which corroborates the notable increase observed this year in the number of professional visitors (+25% compared to 2020).

The “heavyweight” contemporary art galleries at Art Paris for the first time were also more than satisfied and regular exhibitors declared that this year’s Art Paris was their best ever in terms of revenue. The 2021 selection also included more than twenty modern art galleries, which provided the fair’s offering in this area with solid foundations. Kicking off the run of autumn fairs, the 2021 edition of Art Paris was marked by the triumph of painting. Buoyed by guest curator Hervé Mikaeloff’s focus on portraiture and figuration, the selected artists were universally acclaimed by collectors and several galleries sold out.

Art Paris 2022 is resolutely committed to defending the environment and supporting sustainable development.

Art Paris 2022 will return to its usual spring dates from April 7 to 10, 2022. Ahead of the trend as always, the fair—which will bring together 140 galleries at the ephemeral and sustainably-designed Temporary Grand Palais–will be resolutely committing to addressing environmental issues, whilst considering a new form of art that focuses on living things with two complementary themes.

A Focus on the French Scene: Natural Histories
After Hervé Mikaeloff in 2021, independent exhibition curator Alfred Pacquement has been invited to share his perspective on the French scene. A Focus on the French Scene: Natural Histories will look at the way in which artists see plants and animals and how living things have once again found their place in the contemporary aesthetic.

Art & Environment—a selection of artists committed to defending the environment hand in hand with the development of a sustainable approach to art fair organisation.
Independent exhibitor curator, environmental specialist and Art of Change 21 founder Alice Audouin will orchestrate a selection of twenty international artists from exhibiting galleries, whose work either tackles environmental issues or who have committed to a sustainable approach to art. In parallel—and in what will be a first for a European art fair–Karbone founder Fanny Le Gros, in collaboration with Art of Change 21 and Solinnen environmental consultancy, will assist Art Paris with the implementation of a sustainable approach to organising the fair.

Art Paris 2022 will take place April 7–12, 2022 at the Grand Palais Éphémère
Trade preview (upon invitation only): Wednesday, April 6, 11am to 9pm
Hours: Thursday–Sunday 12–8pm, Friday 12–9pm

Art Paris Management:
CEOs: Julien & Valentine Lecêtre
Fair Director: Guillaume Piens
Communication Director: Catherine Vauselle