FAB Paris 2023: the new major French art fair

In a significant development for the art world, Fine Arts and La Biennale have merged to form FAB, a unified platform specializing in Antiquity art. For its inaugural edition, FAB Paris was hosted at the Grand Palais Ephémère and featured a total of 110 galleries from 12 different countries.

I was charmed by its inaugural edition. Right from the moment I stepped into the Grand Palais Ephémère, I was captivated by the beautiful layout of the venue, a place I usually associate with contemporary art fairs featuring minimalist stands. However, it was the quality and diversity of the artworks on display that truly delighted me. Yes, some dealers expressed disappointment over their sales figures, but I also heard very positive feedback from others who found the fair to be quite successful for them.

It’s true that attendance might not have met everyone’s expectations, and I too was surprised by the unusually quiet aisles during my two visits, including one on a Saturday afternoon. The fair’s scheduling during Thanksgiving, which likely prevented many American collectors from attending, might have contributed to this. Nevertheless, as a visitor, I found the conditions at FAB Paris to be ideal for fully enjoying the experience.

Curator’s Booth Pick

Hélène Bailly had presented 18 absolute treasures of modern art. Among them, an exquisite circus scene by Kees van Dongen, and, for a thematic twist, a whimsical musical clown by Marc Chagall had captured our attention. Moïse Kisling had welcomed us into intimacy with his portrait of a young woman, while Diego Giacometti’s ostrich had captured all the light with its unique presence.

Now, let me take you back to two pieces from 1967 that had particularly shone.

First, there had been Serge Poliakoff’s ‘Composition Abstraite.’ In this artwork, Poliakoff had used just seven colors to create a balanced and vibrant composition, reflecting his ongoing exploration of the intricate relationships between colors, lines, and light.

Then, there had been a painting by Pablo Picasso, a musketeer inspired by Alexandre Dumas, who had taken up a brush here and become a painter. With dual perspectives, Picasso had played with our perception, merging the face and profile of this sophisticated character.

Art Dealers Interviews

De Jonckheere Gallery, Galerie Louis & Sack, Desmet Gallery, Galerie Christophe Gaillard, Ludorff and more! Dive into the first edition of the exciting FAB Paris.