Art Basel Paris now in its fourth edition, has firmly cemented the French capital’s newly renewed status as a global epicenter of art. Taking place from October 22-26, it was the second year that the French show was held in the recently restored venue of the 1900 Paris Exposition, a site boasting a classic stone exterior with Art Nouveau iron and glasswork; a spectacular example of Beaux-Arts architecture.
This year’s edition was a masterclass in blending blue-chip masterpieces with contemporary edge, drawing an elegant and sophisticated crowd and commanding a level of market gravitas that rivaled its Swiss predecessor in June. Under the soaring glass roof, 206 international galleries gathered to present works that spanned a century of art—presenting everything from blue-chip Modern masters to the most in-demand contemporary stars.
The temperature check began immediately with the new, exclusive “Avant-Première” V.V.I.P day taking place on the afternoon of October 21, which allowed all 206 galleries to each allocate six guest passes, each with a plus one. The Global Patrons Council, a group of some 180 of the world’s most important private collectors, were also all given a pass. The blue-chip sales here were swift and robust. Leading the charge was Hauser & Wirth, who placed a monumental Gerhard Richter—an Abstraktes Bild from 1987—for $23 million, setting a decisive tone.
The fair received a clear boost from the exceptional quality of Paris’s museum exhibitions that took place during art week. This was headlined by the official inauguration of the expansive new Fondation Cartier for contemporary art, housed in a stunning Jean-Nouvel-designed structure near the Louvre. Collectors were also in town to see an expansive Gerhard Richter exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, and a major George Condo survey show at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris.
Alongside the main galleries presented on the lower floor, upstairs, there were also many exciting discoveries to be made, with two curatorial, thematic sectors. The Emergence section is dedicated to 16 solo presentations by emerging artists and younger galleries, which offered an injection of fresh energy. Premise, meanwhile, offered ten focused, historical projects, often incorporating works predating 1900.
Lee ShinJa at Tina Kim Gallery
In the Premise sector, dedicated to curated, thematic presentations that may include work predating 1900, Tina Kim gallery made their debut at Art Basel Paris with a solo presentation of works by trailblazing Korean artist Lee ShinJa. At 95, Lee is a pioneering figure who defied convention to establish abstract textile art in Korea. The booth features a selection of mesmerizing, richly layered tapestries. The collector and curatorial response was positive with the gallery reporting selling four Lee ShinJa textile works to private collectors, one priced at $150,000, two priced at $90,000 each, and one priced at $70,000. A fifth Lee ShinJa textile work was on hold with a U.S. institution for acquisition at the time of reporting.
—Lucy Rees
