A new start for Art Paris Art Fair, the springtime fair for modern and contemporary art in Paris. Held from 29th March to 1st April 2012, Art Paris Art Fair is the springtime event for modern and contemporary art in France that brings together 120 galleries from 16 countries under the majestic glass roof of the Grand Palais.

Under a new leadership, the fair has been renamed ART PARIS ART FAIR and has undergone a complete transformation. This year sees 56% of newcomers to the fair, with some 40% of participating galleries from abroad. Also new is a VIP programme of visits entitled “Springtime in Paris,” a series of talks, a new section dedicated to cutting edge contemporary design called “Limited Edition.” Another novelty is “Large Format”, a project presenting monumental works within the fair itself.

A high quality European fair with a focus on the international art scene. As an event aimed at the general public, Art Paris Art Fair is working to promote what is a wide variety of art scenes from around Europe - from Marseille to Helsinki and from Lisbon to Vienna. The objective is to discover and highlight some of the more singular local scenes such as that of Hungary which is exceptionally well represented this year with seven modern and contemporary galleries.

Particular attention is also paid to the present trend which sees contemporary artists questioning the heritage of European modernism and reassessing recent historical movements. Art Paris Art Fair also gives pride of place to modern work: a surrealist cabinet at Levy Gallery (Berlin), Viennese actionism at Konzett (Vienna) and Zimmerman Kratochwill (Graz). Also on show are examples of cinetism and research into optical phenomena at Lélia Mordoch (Paris) and Meyer Zafra as well as geometrical abstraction at Anne Lahumière (Paris) and Müller and Gimpel (Paris/London). Lyrical abstraction enthusiasts will find much to see at the French galleries Berthet Aittouarès (Paris) and Jacques Elbaz (Paris).

Contemporary work also has its place, in particular with a number of leading galleries that are taking part in Art Paris Art Fair for the first time, notably Filles du Calvaire (Paris), Laurent Godin (Paris), Bertrand Grimont (Paris), l’Espace Beaumont (Luxemburg) which is unveiling a monumental work entitled « Monument » from the Atelier Van Lieshout, Germany’s Bourouina, Stefan Roepke and Anna Klinkammer….

Limited Edition: a section that aims to explore the relationship between art and contemporary design. Open to all forms of artistic expression, Art Paris Art Fair 2012 is launching a new section showcasing design. Curated by expert Bénédicte Colpin, this “Limited Edition” section brings together a selection of six cutting edge galleries such as Patrick Brillet Fine Art, Pierre Alain Challier, Domeau & Pérès, Galerie Matignon, Slott Galerie and White Moon Gallery who will show exclusive pieces made by top contemporary designers.

Les Echos Série limitée magazine is supporting this initiative and is launching the «Prototype Série limitée Prize” to reward a piece of work that is emblematic of a unique, specific skill.

Springtime in Paris : a tour of the best of what’s on in town. Art Paris Art Fair has organised a programme of visits for its invited VIP guests entitled “Springtime in Paris” which will offer private access to the major events on the arts scene this spring. This includes exhibitions such as “Neon: who’s afraid of red, yellow and blue” at La Maison Rouge, “Joel-Peter Witkin: Enfer ou ciel” (Hell or Heaven) at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, “Ai Wei Wei : Entrelacs” at the Jeu de Paume, “Resisting the Present, Mexico 2000/2012” at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. These come in addition to the specialized fairs taking place at the same time, in particular the Salon du Dessin 2012 and Drawing Now.

ART PARIS ART FAIR
Grand Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris
www.artparis.fr

Opening Hours
29.03.2012 / 11:30am - 8pm
30.03.2012 / 11 :30am - 10pm
31.03.2012 / 11 :30am - 8pm
01.04.2012 / 11:30am - 7pm

Rates
General admission: 20€
Half price for students and groups: 10€
Free admission for children under age 10