It’s a new art fair for Paris, which lost its Antiques Biennale, once ensuring it a place at the highest level. Other times, far from the splendor of yesteryear, another formula. Fab Paris, which is located in the ephemeral Grand Palais, sticks to a more sober, even more conventional era, replacing the magic of the decor with commercial efficiency, in the wake of Tefaf Maastricht, but smaller of course. The “board” of the Dutch event, gathered Thursday morning at the Café La Pérouse of the Maritime Museum, came straight away to judge this second edition of Fab. “We are not going to rewrite the Biennale, it’s too late. We have to find an equation that works and this one seems to be off to a good start, even if it still needs to gain momentum. “Let’s give it time,” is what we heard almost everywhere, from the merchants as well as the public, pleasantly surprised by the performance of the show.
Designed by interior designer Sylvie Zerat (she notably rebuilt the Artcurial headquarters, at the Champs-Élysées roundabout), the 9,000 m2 layout is sober, without too many surprises, but chic. Nothing to say about the straight architecture of the stands, the airy aisles to arrange the 110 exhibitors (i.e. 25% compared to the 2022 edition and 41 new entrants), with only a third of foreigners coming from 12 countries. In this Grand Palais, the show has obviously gained in light, compared to the unattractive basement of the Carrousel du Louvre where it was held last year. What a better way to see objects and paintings in 20 specialties, from archeology to modern and contemporary art, including old paintings, extra-Western arts, rare books, jewelry (congruent portion compared to the Biennale d ‘before), decorative arts and design.
The arrival of the Belgian Bernard de Grunne (rare Baguirmi idols from Chad with illustrious provenance, between 15,000 and 70,000 euros, only two out of nine left for sale) revives primitive arts. As well as Tenzing Asian Art (San Francisco and Hong Kong) for Himalayan Buddhist art. But exit ancient Chinese art, with its terracottas and ancient bronzes held, during the splendor of the Biennale, by Christian Deydier, president dismissed in 2014. With taste, the Luohan gallery tackles more recent China, that of the 18th century with a set of carved walnut seats, a similar model of which can be found in the Forbidden City (320,000 euros). It sits next to a perforated metal cloud sculpture by Heyl Studio (95,000 euros). But no sales yet even though its director, Laurent Colson, says he has “made good contacts”.
What can we say about the name “Fab”, a contraction between the Salon Fine Arts Paris and the Biennale, a name that is not very salesy but which will eventually catch on in people’s minds? This marriage of convenience was born from a rapprochement to grow in size and notoriety and recreate an event worthy of Paris. On the one hand, there is Fine Arts Paris, set up by the organizers of the Salon du Dessin, under the leadership of Louis de Bayser, son of the great merchant Bruno, maestro of the field and whose first edition took place in 2017, at the Palais Brongniart. On the other, the declining Biennale which only has the title, but ensures both a place at the ephemeral Grand Palais then at the Grand Palais renovated after work, in 2024, thanks to its seniority in the complete calendar over several years. The Biennale gradually died out, after being mismanaged by the National Union of Antiquaries (SNA), following internal quarrels over the presidency and divergent points of view. Particularly regarding the excessive presence of jewelers accused of overshadowing antique dealers, while they brought in many rich buyers. From the point of view of some, it was a strategic error, under the presidency of Dominique Chevalier, from 2014 to 2016, which cost them dearly.
As a result, international collectors have been slow to return to the Biennale. Continuing on, Fab didn’t have many at the traditional gala dinner concocted by the Caviar Kaspia house – 600 people compared to 1,200 at the peak of the success of the Biennale at the Grand Palais – on Monday evening, in the somewhat sparse aisles. There were all the Parisian elite, from collectors to curators and decorators (Jacques Garcia or Jacques Grange among the best known), but few foreigners (the Swiss Jean-Claude Gandur bought The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception in clay polychrome fired from the 17th century at Sismann). It must be said that Paris through Art Basel in October, followed by Paris Photo in November, had already attracted them all en masse. The situation has also deteriorated further, with the bombing of Gaza after the tragic attacks by Hamas in Israel. Also proud of the Americans who are in the middle of Thanksgiving.
However, hard-hitting business involves this windfall of foreigners who absolutely must be brought back. Building on their connections, however, some merchants worked well. It’s as usual, unequal depending on one or the other. But “the transactions are in progress,” confirms Françoise Livinec, who hopes that her discovery, Le Marin aux volutes by Tristan Corbière – the only one to have been exhibited, during her lifetime, in the dining room of the Hôtel des Bains of Roscoff, at the beginning of the 20th century, before landing around 1920 at the Verderie manor, in Saint-Malo -, joined a museum (90,000 euros).
Among the successes, the Frenchman Xavier Eeckhout, a reference for animal sculpture, sold 13 out of 20 pieces, from 5,000 to 230,000 euros, including the bronze Corbeau from 1928 by François Pompon. Parisian Éric Dereumaux (RX gallery) sold his gray and white glass bookcase by Pascal Convert (200,000 euros) and his monumental red canvas by Hermann Nitsch from 2021 (135,000 euros). The Parisian gallery Applicat-Prazan, paintings by Maurice Estève, Alberto Magnelli and Gérard Schneider. The one, also Parisian, the Presidency, a small Jean Dubuffet (around 100,000 euros) and several bronze masks by André Derain. As for Loeve
