Autumn in Paris means the start of the art collector's market. The first major date in the art calendar starts with FIAC - the Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain.
FIAC
Held this year at three central locations - the Grand Palais, the Cour Carré du Louvre and the Tuilleries gardens - it is set to be the biggest yet. With over 180 galleries from 23 countries exhibiting modern and contemporary artists, this really is the event to see and be seen at.
At the Grand Palais, expect to see work from influential artists like Wim Delvoye, Louise Bourgeois, Richard Serra, Warhol and Dubuffet, plus a new design section with galerists Patrick Séguin and Kreo. A short walk through the Tuilleries (where outdoor exhibits from Claude Lévèque, Miquel Barcelo and Stéphane Calais will be shown) leads to the Louvre site which is home to the younger and emerging galleries. For those seeking something different to see, this is the place to come and witness innovation and experimentation.
FIAC, Oct 18 to Oct. 22, Grand Palais, avenue Winston Churchill, 8e, M° Champs-Élysées Clemenceau.
Cour Carrée du Louvre, rue de Rivoli, 1er, M° Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre http://www.fiacparis.com
SHOW OFF
Now in its second year, this fair is an alternative to FIAC, with an emphasis on emerging galleries and artists. Held in the prestigious Espace Pierre Cardin, just off the Champs-Elysées and equidistant from the Louvre and the Grand Palais, Show Off guarantees to be a friendlier and more relaxed affair than the cut-throat dealer atmosphere at the larger FIAC event. There's even a Kids section dedicated to infantine creation...
Mainly European galleries will be on show here, such as Thomas Rehbein from Germany, Aschenbach & Hofland from the Netherlands and The Flat from Italy, plus of course the Parisian galleries Magda Danysz (who is one of the founders of the fair), Baumet Sultana, RX, Vanessa Quang and American art specialists G-Module.
Show Off, Oct. 17 to Oct. 22, 1 avenue Gabriel, 8e, M° Concorde, 5 euros http://www.showoffparis.com
SLICK
Also in its second year, Slick positions itself as another alternative to FIAC, this time focusing on cutting-edge art. In a less-central location than the other fairs, the magnificent Bellevilloise studios in the 20th arrondissement sets the scene for installations and hangings from largely French galleries, including Galerie AAA, Defrost, Incognito, Miss China Beauty, Sit Down and Numeriscausa. With 34 galleries exhibiting this year, the fair has expanded to the Pavillion Carré de Baudoin, also in the 20th.
Slick, Oct. 18 to Oct. 22, La Bellevilloise, 19-21, rue Boyer, 20e, M° Gambetta Carré de Baudouin, 121, rue Ménilmontant, 20e, M° Ménilmontant, 5/7 euros http://www.slick-paris.com