For its 33rd edition, the International Art Fair has invested the Grand Palais and the Cour Carree of the Louvre museum. The year 2006 marks a major stage in FIAC's evolution, with an unprecedented number of new elements: a new implantation in the heart of Paris; high-level contents based on a heightened selectivity and a reaffirmation of our desire to open to new ideas: special projects, quality services, different ways of visiting the fair.
The year 2006 marks a major stage in FIAC’s evolution , with an
unprecedented number of new elements: a new implantation in the heart of Paris;
new prestigious sites; high-level contents based on a heightened selectivity and a
reaffirmation of our desire to open to new ideas: special projects, quality services,
different ways of visiting the fair.
These choices are a logical continuation of the renewal process that FIAC began
with the introduction of design and very young galleries in 2004, and the
organisation of a series of events in the Grand Palais in 2005. This process has
accelerated even more this year, culminating in a new, durable approach that will
certainly undergo other improvements and innovations in years to come.
For its 33rd edition, FIAC has invested the Grand Palais and the Cour
Carre'e of the Louvre museum. This position in the centre of the city, in close
proximity to its important cultural institutions, its artistic venues and “art de vivre"
lifestyle is a strong strategic choice: to closely associate the FIAC with the image of
Paris, its attractiveness, its quality of life, the reborn vitality of its artistic scene.
Between international scope and the French touch, FIAC is Paris and nowhere else.
The 5 strong points of FIAC 2006
1) The sites of FIAC 2006: a new geography
The Grand Palais : Several days after the Grand Palais re-opened in 2005, FIAC
was the first fair to invest its historic site, hosting a programme involving 40
international artists. This year, the Grand Palais will house stands of 98 galleries
specialising in modern art and contemporary art with a scenography that highlights
the immense volumes of the nave, enhanced by the construction of double level
spaces at the north and south extremities, a first for the site.
The Cour Carre'e of the Louvre museum: This is the first year that FIAC will
invest the Cour Carre'e of the Louvre—an outstanding event since this is the first
time that this prestigious site has been used either for a contemporary art event or
an art fair. The presence in the Cour Care'e is inscribed in the framework of a broad
and multifaceted partnership with the Louvre museum which includes an artistic
facet (with a programme of contemporary art works in the Tuileries gardens (see
below) and initiatives directed towards a younger audience. The architecture had to
be equal to the quality of the site. An ephemeral transparent structure of 5200 sq.
metres in the centre of the Cour, in complete harmony with the facade, houses 71
exhibitors: 62 galleries of contemporary art and cutting-edge creation as well as 9
galleries in the design sector, conceived today in an innovative spirit.
A new way to experience FIAC in the heart of Paris : In order to win the
gamble of an installation in two separate sites, we have developed an offer of
comprehensive services. Besides the multiple transportation possibilities, made
easier by the proximity of the Cour Carre'e and the Grand Palais (a 30-minute walk,
metro line 1, or by Batobus, stops Louvre and Grand Palais), we provide free,
regular navettes (buses) flying the colours of the FIAC and leaving each site every
15 minutes, as well as car and minibus services for collectors and invited guests.
Opening and closing times have also been rethought; FIAC will be open every day
(except the last, Monday the 30th) until 9pm, allowing the working public to visit it
easily at the end of the day. Also, we propose a new admission system: one entry
ticket allows visitors to go to both sites whenever they want (not necessarily one
after the other, nor the same day), and a new permanent pass permits as many
visits as desired.
Our goal in implementing these decisions is to encourage a new style of visiting
FIAC: going through one of the sites, wandering in the Tuileries gardens among the
art works, visiting one of the exhibitions on in Paris during the fair, returning to
FIAC another time or day. Making FIAC part of the city, part of everyday life.
2) The galleries of the 2006 edition: rigorous selectivity, new arrivals, a
reaffirmed broad-based identity
The constraints related to FIAC’s new implantation have imposed important space
restrictions, causing a reduction in the number of participating galleries (-25%). In
spite of this limitation, we have chosen to reaffirm the generalist dimension of
FIAC. The ambition to present 20th century classics, high-quality international
contemporary art and cutting edge creations as well as design is the foundation of
FIAC’s identity. In order to preserve this large scope a rigorous selection processes
in every sector was necessary.
The 2006 selection includes 169 galleries from 22 countries. The French galleries
(77) represent approximately 45%, foreign galleries (92) 55%. 41 galleries are
newcomers (either first-time participants or returnees to FIAC after one or several
years of absence.)
Modern art: stronger and stronger . We applaud with the return of certain
major international galleries such as Gmurzynska (Cologne), Krugier-Ditesheim
(Geneva), Landau Fine Arts (Montreal), Leonard Hutton (New York), Waddington
Galleries (London), James Goodman and Max Lang (New York)…who rejoin Karsten
Greve, Lelong, 1900-2000, Hezne & Ketterer…
At the heart of this resolutely international panorama, FIAC offers a more specific
vision of the unique place that the French artistic scene has occupied throughout the
history of modernity: the important classics of the 20th century (Laurens,
Giacometti, Dubuffet…at Jeanne Bucher), Lyric Abstraction (Schneider at Applicat-
Prazan, Mathieu at Marlbourough, New Realism (Seroussi, Galerie de France,)
kinetic art (Denise Rene'), concrete art (Lahumie're) and Critical Figuration
(Salvador).
Contemporary Art: confirmations and new arrivals . Important international
galleries have rejoined Yvon Lambert, Daniel Templon, la Galerie de France,
Emmanuel Perrotin, Thaddaeus Ropac, Lisson, Krinzinger…FIAC’s faithful
participants. Galleries such as Presenhuber, Hauser&Wirth, Esther Schipper, and
Art&Public whose arrival caused a sensation at FIAC 2005 have all returned in
2006. We are also pleased to welcome back Marian Goodman (New York-Paris),
Barbara Gladstone (New York), Sadie Coles (London), Rafel Jablonka, Michael
Werner or Kewenig (Cologne) Luis Campana (Berlin), Massimo de Carlo (Milan) and
Estrany de la Mota (Barcelona).
Emerging trends: a restated ambition . In order to show our intention to
support the dedication of numerous galleries, they have been chosen in terms of
their dynamic, forward-looking spirit rather than on generational criteria. In this
regard it seemed essential to continue to present certain younger galleries such as
Isabella Bortolozzi (Berlin), Blow de la Barra (London), la Bank (Paris), Cortex
Athletico (Bordeaux), Juliette Jongma (Amsterdam)…, some of which are
participating in an international fair for the first time. This will allow them to
position themselves in relation to already recognised young galleries such as
Masionneuve, Jocelyn Wolff, Loevenbruck, Cosmic or gb Agency (Paris), Hiromi
Yoshii (Tokyo), I 20 (New York), Diana Stigter (Amsterdam) as well as to more
established galleries such as XL or Aidan (Moscow), Alain Gutharc or Polaris
(Paris), Catherine Bastide (Brussels), Dvir (Tel Aviv), Nature Morte Bose-Pacia
(New Delhi-New York), all connected through a mutual process of discovery.
Design: A new spirit . In 2004 FIAC was the first contemporary art fair to include
design, a successful initiative that was largely copied or imitated. We intend to keep
our advantage by presenting design in an entirely new way. In the heart of the Cour
Care'e, a unique sceongraphy, conceived by the architect Emmanuel Combarel,
breaks with the sacrosanct alignment of stands and emphasises openness, fluid
circulation, and the interrelations between design and the visual arts. For this
event, Ulrich Fiedler, from Cologne, rejoins the participating galleries of the earlier
editions of FIAC’s design sector: Jousse Entreprise, Mouvement Modernes,
Downtown, Dewindt, Eric Phillipe, David Gill, Galerie Italiene, Dansk Moebelkunst.
3) Cultural programmes: promenades, invitations, prizes…
Sculptures and exterior projects in the Tuileries gardens
In the context of the partnership between the FIAC and the Louvre museum, the
Tulieries gardens between the Grand Palais and the Cour Carre'e, contain an
ensemble of exterior projects. Monumental works and unique installations by Alain
Bublex, Tony Cragg, Ge'rard Deschamps, Subodbh Guptah, Richard Long, Jean-
Michel Othoniel, Bruno Peinado, Frank Scurti, Franz West…can be appreciated
among the alleys, copses, lawns and water basins of the famous gardens.
The ICI Programme: International Curators’ Invitational
FIAC and Paul Ricard have joined forces to launch a new project, the ICI
(International Curators’ Invitational) programme, that brings together 10 of the
most promising personalities in the younger generation of intellectuals, critics and
exhibit commissioners. The aim of the programme is not to create more conferences
or debates, but to develop the visibility of the Parisian artistic scene internationally
and to encourage meetings and exchanges between its players and rising figures in
the field of art criticism.
Selected among the propositions of international organisations (IKT, De Appel,
Columbi, le Magasin…) the participants in the ICI programme receive a 4-day
invitation to visit FIAC and to attend several of the numerous events that are
taking place in Paris during that period. Their trip and stay are covered by the
organisers, who also will facilitate their visits to various venues of the Parisian art
scene (museums, art centres, foundations, collections…) and meetings with its
important figures—artists, dealers, collectors, curators, critics.
The Marcel Duchamp Prize
Continuing in its goal to federate the energies of the French artistic scene, FIAC has
joined the organisers of the Marcel Duchamp Prize for the second year. It will
exhibit the 4 short-listed artists, Adel Adbessemed, Leandro Erlich, Philippe
Mayayx and Bruno Peinado, who have been invited to create a specific project for
the occasion. The winner will be announced on Saturday 28 October at 12 o’clock at
the Grand Palais.
4) The energy of Paris
During FIAC 2006 , there will be a particularly intense artistic activity in Paris.
Besides the newly opened or renovated museums such as the Muse'e du Quai
Branly, the Orangerie and the Muse'e des Arts De'coratifs, a uniquely rich and varied
programme of exhibitions will be open during FIAC: Yves Klein, Robert
Rauschenberg, Vija Celmins, the collection of the Caisse de De'pots et Consignations
at the Centre Pompidou, Maurice Denis at the Muse'e d’Orsay, Karen Kilmnik at the
Muse'e d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris, the cycle of events “5 Billion Years" at the
Palais de Tokyo, Lee Friedlander at the Jeu de Paume, Gary Hill at the Fondation
Cartier, Balenciaga at the Muse'e de la Mode, the collection of Sylvio Perlstein at the
Maison Rouge, Adel Abdessemed at the Plateau, not to mention Jeff Wall and Fracis
Morellet at Orsay, Candida Hofer at the Louvre, Pawel Althamer at Pompidou. The
Festival d’Automne proposes Ernesto Neto’s installation in the Pantheon and
Cameron Jamie’s performance at the Ope'ra Comique. Thanks to FIAC’s close
collaboration with the figures responsible for these events we can offer collectors and
guests of honour attending the fair an exciting programme filled with openings and
private viewings, as well as evening events, receptions, brunches….
5) More and better services
One of the priorities of FIAC 2006 is an improved quality of services
provided for all visitors , especially in terms of rest and bar spaces. This concern
is obviously addressed in the services offered to French and international collectors.
In both the Cour Carre'e and the Grand Palais, private lounge and reception areas
designed by Giulio Capellini and an original bar concept conceived by Alain Passard,
chef of l’Arpe'ge, will be at their disposition. They can also take advantage of a fleet
of official cars made available by Citroen, a FIAC partner for the second year as well
as a valet service. The Parcours Prive'e programme brings together the important
players of the Parisian cultural scene and for the first time, thanks to our
partnership with the Comite' Colbert, the greatest names in French luxury goods
and services. Another notable new service is the offer by our partner AXA art of free
insurance for works purchased at the FIAC.
It is important to emphasise that all these new or renewed initiatives reflect the
desire of numerous players in the economic and cultural sectors (both public and
private) to invest the same energy into working together. We offer them our sincere
gratitude.
We also extend our thanks to those who contribute to the richness of the FIAC, and
without whom it simply would not exist: the gallery owners. And unfortunately,
because two important personalities in the French gallery scene, Jean Fournier and
Phillip Nelson, as well as a great English lady, Annely Juda,passed away in 2006,
we have a special thought for them as the fair approaches. In gratitude and
admiration, we dedicate this 33rd edition of the FIAC to their memory.
Martin Bethenod, commissioner-general and Jennifer Flay, artistic director
New galleries at FIAC 2006 compared with 2005 are indicated with an *
Practical FIAC
Grand Palais, avenue Winston Churchill, Paris 8e & Cour Carre'e of the Louvre, rue de Rivoli, Paris 1er
From Wednesday 26th through 29th October: 12am- 21pm
Monday 30th October: 12am - 17pm
Tuesday 24th October
18pm - 2pm: Private visits of the Cour Carre'e of the Louvre (reserved for collectors by invitation only)
Wednesday 25th October
11am- 2pm: Private visits of the Grand Palais (reserved for collectors by invitation only)
3pm - 5pm: Opening for press and professionals
5pm- 22pm: Opening
Saturday 28th October
10am- 12am: Private visits of the Grand Palais and the Cour Carre'e of the Louvre (reserved for collectors by
invitation only)
FIAC Paris
Porte de Versaille - Paris