Artrovert Gallery gallerist Siim Raie shares his impressions of Paris Art Week, where dozens of art fairs, exhibitions and galleries offered a cross-section of the contemporary art world – from experiments by emerging artists to exhibitions at the world’s leading galleries.
Although Paris is currently making headlines for other reasons, last week the city also hosted Paris Art Week, with dozens of art fairs, exhibition openings and thousands of galleries. For that week, Paris became the centre of the art world, drawing visitors from everywhere to experience its extensive programme. Those who wanted could head to an auction house to buy a Monet (one sold for 50 million), while others could explore the latest and more experimental performance art.
Our programme focused on art fairs, private museums and galleries.
Post-Fair was a new fair and a new experience, featuring young galleries and artists still gathering momentum. Testing the boundaries of what people even consider art. Paris Internationale was a larger, more established fair, with a reputation for fresh talent and being a favourite among curators, but this year it did not offer any major surprises.
The most rewarding experience was still Art Basel Paris, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious art fairs, with a stronger emphasis on wall-based artworks and artists further along in their careers. Mega-galleries and newcomers aspiring to join their ranks. Less risky, but consequently more aligned with my own understanding of art. One general observation compared with previous years was the sheer amount of excellent abstract art on offer. Figurative painting was clearly in the minority, while minimalist, geometric and more expressive forms of abstraction were all having their moment.
Among the exhibitions, Yu Nishimura at Lafayette Anticipations was a real highlight. Later, scrolling through photographs on my phone, I discovered that I had already photographed the centrepiece of his exhibition three years earlier at Paris Internationale. Michelangelo Pistoletto’s exhibition at Galleria Continua was also good, although the master’s more recent works were less compelling. On the exhibition wall, however, I came across a quote: “An object is not art; the idea expressed by that very object can be.” Fortunately, alongside all the experimentation, Paris is full of objects that express ideas.
Mega-Galleries and Private Collections
With demonstrations expected, we picked up the pace on Friday and, together with Estonian-born, Paris-based curator Merilin Talumaa, visited three mega-galleries, two private collections and countless galleries in the Marais district. On our final day, we also managed to visit Design Miami Paris and the Musée du Luxembourg.
Of the exhibitions opened specifically for Art Week at the mega-galleries, Lee Krasner at Gagosian was simply superb! Her very first exhibition in Europe. The newly opened Mennour gallery, focused on the secondary market, also featured a carefully curated selection of major names, and during our visit we even managed to meet Mr Mennour himself.
White Cube presented an exhibition of Tracey Emin’s small-format paintings, intimate and deeply personal. Lee Bae’s black-and-white world of charcoal and paper clips at Perrotin, France’s largest gallery, was also memorable.
Art, Space and Design
For the first time, we visited Fondation Cartier, which opened its new premises last year, right next to the Louvre. The exhibition featuring Ghanaian artists Ibrahim Mahama and Gideon Appah was exceptionally well curated, substantial and thought-provoking, while also offering another remarkable spatial experience.
Barbara Kruger and an exhibition exploring the history of photography at the Pinault Collection, housed in the former stock exchange building, were simply impressive in both scale and content!
Before our flight home, we visited Design Miami Paris, a fair dedicated to collectible design, held in Karl Lagerfeld’s former residence. It was captivating both for the objects on display and for the house itself. A truly grand home, but with impeccable taste.
Andy Warhol’s drawings at the Musée du Luxembourg revealed a completely different side of this leading figure of Pop Art. He was not just a showman and marketer, but also a highly sensitive draughtsman and a meticulous planner.
After tens of thousands of steps and an overwhelming wealth of impressions, it felt good to fly back from Paris to peaceful Estonia.
