A collection of salon-style exhibitions opened in Paris this week, timed to coincide with the booming Art Basel Paris, which is helping to cement the French capital’s status as Europe’s premier art hub. Leading the charge on Tuesday was Paris Internationale, which took over and left Central Bergère. Its rough, unfinished state resembled the experimental art displayed in the booths. This year, the fair hosted seventy-five galleries from nineteen countries, and the busy opening day resulted in strong sales. Japanese artist Kajiito Ito, presented by Tomio Koyama Gallery, sold his entire collection of paintings and sculptures priced between $3,500-5,000. Meanwhile, Athens-based The Breeder makes its debut, showcasing works by artist and choreographer Maria Hassabi alongside sculptures by Georgia Sagri. On the third day, the gallery celebrated the sale of one of Sagri’s works ($30,000-40,000) in a prominent European institution’s collection, as well as several of Hassabi’s gold mirror portraits, which were placed in private collections for $20,000-30,000. Hassabi is set to present a solo exhibition at the gallery at the end of November.
LoBrutto Stahl’s booth featuring an intriguing, esoteric painting by Georgian artist Tornike Robakidze sold out at the end of the first day. Düsseldorf’s Lucas Hirsch also reported strong sales of works by Kassel-based painter Lukas Müller, who studied under Albert Oehlen, with paintings fetching around $10,000 and a few gouaches for $4,500. On Friday, Ludovico Corsini, now working independently after parting with CLEARING, almost sold out his booth at Paris Internationale. Javier Barrios’s intricately figurative works sold in the $8,000-30,000 range, while Meriem Bennani’s pieces went for $18,000-45,000.
Another highlight was Shanghai-based gallery Plateus, which brought nature-inspired, meditative artist Wang Jung’s creations to the open space. The artist spent hours immersed in nature, painting and drawing in the forests of Guangzhou, China, searching for a deeper connection between humanity and the natural world. His dynamic brushes show the movement of the trees, the central air and the lymph and their energy.
Among the new exhibitions adding to the buzz of Paris Art Week was NADA’s first program in the city, The Salon, presented in partnership with the community. Unlike the preview in sun-drenched Basel, the show opened on a rainy, gray day in a modern building in the 10th Arrondissement that once housed SNCF, the French railway. The glass structure provided a smooth, seamless flow around the booths, although the atmosphere was remarkably quiet compared to other shows—perhaps because Parisians are still enjoying this American-led event, which felt like a meeting of “American society” transplanted to Paris.
Despite the slow pace, some galleries saw early sales. Local dealer Cadet Capela presented a solo booth featuring works by Blake Daniels, selling two of the three pieces on display for between $20,000 and $25,000. “We had a great first day: a strong, international audience,” Mathieu Capela told the Observer. Upstairs, New York favorites like Mrs. featured works by Alexandra Barth, Megan Bogonovich and Robert Zehnder. “We’ve had a lot of interest and little sales,” said Sara Salamone, founder of Mrs. “We are always optimistic about the weekend and are happy to work with many collectors in Paris and Europe. It was quiet, but there was a good level of people.”
In the next booth, Olympia presented Coleen Herman’s dynamic, emotional briefs priced between $5,000 and $12,000 in an airy setting, which drew a lot of attention. Upstairs, Montreal-based Bradley Ertaskiran showed Veronica Pausova’s intricate depiction of the female body, available for $9,000. One of The Salon’s standout projects was an exhibition by the Fall River Museum of Contemporary Art (FR MoCA), a non-profit, artist-led collection focused on the themes of transparency, screens and porosity. Founded by Massachusetts natives Harry Gould Harvey IV and Brittni Ann Harvey, the collective focuses on alternative, rotating programs to support artistic production and co-creation, often in partnership with other galleries to engage communities through their creative space.
Another highlight is Shary Boyle’s mysterious ceramics, presented by Patel Brown, displayed alongside small canvases by Muriel Jaouich. Boyle’s new ceramic works, created at the Ceramic Work Center in the Netherlands, feature his signature non-confrontational style but explore themes of silence and unspoken truths that threaten the modern world. The joint booth of 52 Walker and Mitchell-Innes & Nash (which recently closed the New York gallery to become an art consultancy) also made an impression, with several works by Pope, big.
Asia Now, housed in the historic luxury palace of Monnaie de Paris, opened on the same day with a highly curated selection from the very first room. Every year, it seems, the show raises its offerings, attracting more established galleries like Esther Schipper, which presents the work of the young, talented Korean artist Lee Linju, which sells for $20,000. Perrotin dedicated one section of his booth to Hong Kong artist Ya Chin Chang, whose meticulously detailed paintings quickly sold in the $20,000-25,000 range ahead of next year’s New York show. Drawing Room Manila of the Philippines showed one booth of carved woodwork by Roberto Faleo, three pieces sold this morning for $5,000-7,000. Paris gallery Galerie LJ also made a strong impression, selling conceptual works on paper by Georgian artist Rusudan Khizanishvili during opening hours.
Nearby, Berlin’s Kornfeld gallery saw immediate success with the sale of a large work by Rao Fu for $44,000 in the first hours of the show—Fu’s demand has skyrocketed since his collaboration with Perrotin. “We are delighted with the overwhelming response from prominent museum professionals, curators and collectors around the world, particularly from France and Southeast Asia,” a gallery representative told the Observer. “The sale of Tamara Kvesitadze’s kinetic sculpture to a Chinese collector, and the enthusiastic reception of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s striking Egani sculpture, underscore the international popularity of the artists we represent. It’s a testament to the dynamic and diverse power of the fair.” Square Street Gallery from Hong Kong echoed this satisfaction. “It was a great start to the show,” director Leon Jago told the Observer. “We brought Daisuke Tajima’s work to Asia. Now it will be presented for the first time in Europe, and we have received a very positive response from collectors and curators alike.”
The show also features a segment hosted by Nicolas Bourriad (behind this year’s Gwangju Biennial) and Alexander Burenkov. Focusing on the vision of the event, the section showcased the work of eighteen artists who explored or revived “culture” as a place of spirituality, fitness and community connection. Among them were up-and-coming artists from the region, such as Charwei Tsai, ZADIE XA, Leelee Chan, Ming Wong and Trevor Yeung, who represented Hong Kong at the Venice Biennale this year.
Finally, another innovation that seems to be appreciated by collectors is OFFSCREEN, which took place not far from the Grand Palais in the Grand Garage Haussmann (yes, the former garage) and presented twenty-five works by artists Alfredo Jaar, Gordon. Matta Clark and Lita Albuquerque, among others. This avant-garde exhibition focuses on experimental, image-based artworks, including video, film, photography and mixed media installations. The late Belgian director Chantal Akerman was this year’s guest, and her work was exhibited in collaboration with the Marian Goodman Gallery.
