Art Basel is getting ready for its Paris event despite the protests

What is the unique character? 

The galleries have realised – something that is particularly important to us – that they are taking part in a Parisian art fair, and as such are committed to reflecting the complexity and beauty of the environment in which they find themselves. In addition to our significant contingent of French galleries, which showcase the richness and diversity of the French art scene, the international galleries also highlight the links that their artists and the galleries themselves have with Paris and France, in ways that range from the subtle to the more overt.

«Nat Faulkner, Analogue (Window) II», 2026 di Brunette Coleman

Any examples?

Isabella Bortolozzi from Berlin will be exhibiting photographs by Annie Ernaux, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Alternatively, Magda Danysz has found a piece by the legendary American street artist Futura featuring the Eiffel Tower.

Any other highlights? 

From Tim Van Laere in Antwerp, there will be an extraordinary work by Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys – one of their characteristic life-size sculptures – which engages in a dialogue with “School Girl” (2023) by Takashi Murakami at Perrotin. Tornabuoni will be presenting a truly incredibly beautiful work by Giacomo Balla from 1926. At Meyer Riegger, there is a beautiful piece by Jacqueline de Jong from the 1960s. And then, of course, there are some very interesting contemporary works: from the beautiful pieces by Karla Black at Capitain Petzel to the work by Nat Faulkner in the Emergence section, presented by Brunette Coleman, which pushes photography to its absolute limits and experiments with its boundaries. A special presentation, with strong symbolic power, will be that of Beauford Delaney at Michael Rosenfeld; he was a Black, American queer artist who chose Paris to develop his work and made his name there.

There will also be an Italian artist in the Public Programme...

That’s right, an extraordinary Italian artist: Marcello Maloberti. He will be presenting a huge and beautiful neon installation mounted on a lorry, right in the middle of Avenue Winston Churchill, presented by Raffaella Cortese. One of the new venues we’re investing in this year as part of our public programme is the Trocadéro, opposite the Eiffel Tower. There, we’ll be showcasing some incredible bronze sculptures by Tracey Emin. It’s thrilling to be present in such a prominent and iconic location with an artist who is equally iconic and significant.

Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, Beauford Delaney, «Composition in Blue», 1960, © Estate of Beauford Delaney, by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator

Which new galleries are taking part for the first time?

It’s a fair full of ‘firsts’. We have 32 newcomers, which is a considerable number. I’ve already mentioned one of them, Brunette Coleman. Then there are new French galleries, including Danysz, which I’ve also mentioned, and Lo Brutto Stahl, also in the Emergence section, featuring young artists. But there are also international galleries, such as MT Gallery from Hong Kong, Chert Lüdde from Berlin, and an Italian gallery, Laveronica, which is taking part in the fair for the first time this year, in the main section. As well as the newcomers, we also have galleries that have been ‘promoted’ to the main section, which is very important, as it forms part of our mission: to foster the growth of galleries across the entire market. Among the galleries that started out in the Emergence section and are exhibiting in the main section for the first time this year are French galleries such as The Pill and Petrine, as well as an Austrian gallery, Gianni Manhattan, which will be paired with a Spanish gallery, PM8.

What’s new in your term of office? 

I have already mentioned a few changes. We are expanding our floor space within the Grand Palais. We are adding a new space to the perimeter of the fair, which will be on the ground floor, right next to the main aisle: it is called Salon Seine, and this is where the Premise sector – one of the fair’s hallmarks – will take place. Consequently, this section will also grow, expanding from nine to 12 stands. Another result is that this will allow us to open a new entrance: the fair will be more accessible, with a third entrance for the public. For the first time, we will also be hosting our programme of talks inside the building. And then, around the Grand Palais: we are increasing the number of public projects in the immediate vicinity by 50 per cent, with 12 projects surrounding the building, creating almost an open-air sculpture exhibition for our visitors and passers-by.

How exactly are you helping galleries in this difficult situation? 

One tool is the pricing structure for Art Basel fairs. We use a tiered model, which means that the more square metres you buy, the more you pay per square metre. The underlying idea is, of course, that the strongest galleries – those that are more financially sound – can indirectly support smaller galleries. Furthermore, in the main section: when you take part in the main section for the first year, you benefit from a 25 per cent reduction on the price per square metre. If it is your second year in the main section, you benefit from a 15 per cent reduction. These are substantial investments we make for the well-being of our galleries. The thematic sections of the Paris fair also offer discounts: in the ‘Emergence’ section, galleries pay a price that is effectively a 54 per cent reduction compared to what they would pay in the main section, and in the ‘Premise’ section they receive a 25 per cent reduction on that same floor space. So, financially speaking, I believe we are doing a great deal for them. And then, of course, supporting the galleries also involves a ‘soft power’ approach – that is, promoting them: whether on our social media channels, on our editorial platform, or in the discussions we have with collectors around the world. And, of course, it also involves the level of service offered by our Paris fair – a standard shared by all the fairs we organise.