FIAC 2019

in images

As seen by Alexandra Gilliams for XIBT

Beneath the glass ceiling and green steel frames of the Grand Palais, a selection of contemporary art pieces from 199 international galleries comprised the 46th edition of FIAC in Paris, France. This year the fair hosted galleries from 29 different countries, including the Ivory Coast and Iran who were represented at FIAC for the first time. Stunning pieces of all genres permeated the fair, including a decorative installation displayed by London’s Lisson Gallery by the French artist Laure Prouvost, who represented France this year at the Venice Biennale.

To the side of the gallery’s booth was a space designated only for Prouvost, which displayed a playful pink globe with flowers descending from its center, made entirely from Murano glass, entitled “Growing in Softness Chandelier”.

The installation was completed with two chairs entitled “Early Work of Grandad, found in the tunnel of history” numbered 6 and 8. Scattered throughout the fair were walls lined with Picasso’s and Picabia’s, iconic prints of flowers taken by Thomas Ruff and Robert Mapplethorpe, and a complex acrylic glass sculpture by Berta Fischer, to name a select few. And of course, no contemporary art fair would be complete without one or two of Anish Kapoor’s famous Mirrors with rows of people waiting to take photos of themselves distorted in its colorful, concave reflection.

Wandering throughout the fair is a sensory overload as your eyes are inundated with neon sculptures, glass, copper, wood, large scale paintings and miniatures, sketches and photographs, and installations. FIAC’s unique venue and choice in the galleries it represents distinguishes it from other international art fairs. Further, in the wake of Brexit, as more and more galleries begin to open up spaces in Paris, the city is rumored to once again become the European center for art.

Here are some of the highlights from this year’s edition of FIAC from our correspondent Alexandra Gilliams: