RECLAIMING THE GRAND PALAIS 

 

What has returning to the Grand Palais changed for Art Paris?

 

Returning to our historic venue at the Grand Palais has allowed us to welcome more galleries. Indeed, we have gone from 124 exhibitors at the Grand Palais Éphémère (2021 – 2024) to more than 160 at this edition. This move has also allowed us to expand certain sectors and create new ones. Promises plays host to 27 young galleries on one part of the balconies, whereas the other side is given over to contemporary design with the French Design Art Edition and its selection of 18 exhibitors. On the ground floor, there are spaces where we can hold conferences and present the collections of private or public foundations, as well as exhibitions organised by our partners. The renovation of the Grand Palais for the Olympic Games has enhanced the building's magnificent architecture and the Grand Palais is now one of the most beautiful places in the world to host an art fair.

 

PARIS IN RENEISSANCE MODE 

 

Paris is once again described as a cultural capital. What is driving this momentum — and how does Art Paris contribute?

 

Brexit in 2016, the rise of private foundations — notably the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection — and the arrival of major international galleries such as Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner and Esther Schipper have all contributed to Paris’s renewed momentum. Artist-in-residence initiatives like Poush have also played an important role.

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At the same time, public and private cultural actors have recognised the need to work collectively to restore Paris’s status as a global capital of contemporary art — a position it held until the 1960s. Art Paris contributes to this dynamic through its VIP programme of around thirty parallel events, spotlighting both established institutions and emerging initiatives across the city.

 

Today, Paris is the only European city to host two leading modern and contemporary art fairs: Art Basel Paris in autumn and Art Paris in spring. Together, they extend the city’s cultural influence throughout the year.

 

What would you highlight as the defining features or key moments of Art Paris 2026?

 

Two themes devised with this edition's guest exhibition curators take central stage in 2026: Babel – Art and Language in France organised by Loic Le Gall focuses on the French scene, whereas the theme of reparation that Alexia Fabre has chosen to explore showcases international artists. If each curator’s selection is limited to around twenty artists chosen from among the exhibiting galleries, every year, these themes inspire the galleries’ choices thereby giving a different feel to each edition.

 

The 2026 edition develops on the previous year's innovations on the balconies overlooking the nave: Promises, a sector featuring 27 young galleries, continues to delight visitors with a plethora of new discoveries and on the opposite side, the French Design Art Edition presents eighteen exhibitors (designers, interior designers, design companies and galleries specialising in contemporary design).

 

A rich events programme completes the fair. It includes an ensemble of various exhibitions and conferences, as well as three major prizes: the BNP Paribas Banque Privée Prize - A focus on the French scene, the Her Art Prize for women artists and the FRENCH DESIGN 100 Prize.