To suggest that Paris may be a “new” market center is to completely ignore 200 years of Western Art History. But here we are, at an interesting inflection point in Europe’s landscape where the French capital has a unique proposition at hand.
Don’t think this has only to do only with the arrival of Art Basel’s newest branch, Paris+ (that’s plus to you), nor the ousting of FIAC to an uncertain future (its fate presently hangs in the balance). Of course, Brexit and the currency crisis of the UK is working to the French’s advantage in this venture (much akin to the situation of our friends in Seoul), yet don’t discredit the work being done in this legendary art city to, perhaps, undo the reputation it has of “losing to” New York’s power in the 1950s.
Paris has quietly been revving up its art market importance for the last few years, particularly through its robust gallery network of contemporary art (i.e. where the big returns are) that is no longer just found in their home-grown megas (Perrotin, Ropac, Rech). The American galleries have moved in with outposts (Zwirner, Gagosian), and the emerging sector has sprouted exciting homegrown galleries both in town, as well as outside the Peripherique, the infamous highway and snobbish dividing line.
The City of Lights metropolitan is teeming with artists, both the post-mod giants like Daniel Buren and Sophie Calle, but the breakout stars like Camille Henrot and Cyprian Gaillard. Legendary are the institutions of Paris from the Pompidou and Palais de Tokyo, even the new additions: the public housing of the private collections of Pinault and Louis Vuitton. The auction houses here have a presence (though admittedly, not as large as London). Tout c’est ici!
Paris has the infrastructure, the capital and the history to make a play as the global European hub for the arts—a question on everyone’s mind this week as they flock to the Petit Palais, Bourse de Commerce and the countless client dinners. While this week certainly is a litmus, we’ve noticed that many art people haven’t quite taken stock of the boom in commercial galleries in Paris over the last ~five years So we’re making it easy to track!
A handy map of the galleries you’d be interested in—broken down by arrondissement as well as market category and where to find them at Paris+ (or Asia Now).
Click on a pin to view more information on the gallery, and to toggle between layers, open the menu by clicking the arrow in the top left corner.
To go full screen, select the square in the top right corner.