THE 43rd ITERATON; 186 GALLERIES, 27 COUNTRIES
FIAC art fair opens 19 October, with its VIP day
Una Meistere,
20/10/2016
Every year for a week in the middle of October, Paris is flooded with the crème de la crème of the art world, for this is one of the year’s most important places to be. It is the week of FIAC. The headquarters for this prestigious art fair is the majestic Grand Palais – a building that was opened in 1900 as a place to honor the best of French art, and that has ever since been regarded as one of the world’s most impressive and largest structures utilizing transparent architectonics. Once a year, its 240-meter-long atrium – located under a glass vaulted ceiling supported by iron columns – features line after line of blue-chip gallery stands.
The names of the artists presented there are, for the greater part, leading entries in most any reference book on contemporary art. And when one climbs up the magnificent staircase, one is presented with works created by those still labeled as “young” and “promising”. It truly seems that it is precisely this space, where the central activities of FIAC take place, that is the main feature and advantage that separates this art fair from other heavy contenders. This year, FIAC is taking place for the 43rd time, and it has assembled 186 galleries from 27 countries.
However, FIAC is not confined to the territory of the Grand Palais. It is already become custom that the fair’s large-format environmental objects are exhibited at the Jardin des Tuileries, Place Vendome, and elsewhere. A new subsidiary of FIAC this year is the Petit Palais – which is hosting the “On Site” program containing grandiose-sized sculptures and installations that enter into dialog not only with the structural interior of the space, but also with the museum’s exhibits. Another new initiative for FIAC this year is the “Parades for FIAC” festival: in various spots in and adjacent to the Grand Palais, all sorts of today’s art genres – contemporary art, dance, literature, etc. – will be interacting with each other.