Art Paris

FRAGILE UTOPIAS

A FOCUS ON THE FRENCH SCENE

by Éric de Chassey

Fragile Utopias

Éric de Chassey, director of the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art (INHA), teacher at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon and exhibition curator will share his perspective on the French scene with a selection of 21 artists chosen from among the exhibiting galleries on the theme Fragile Utopias.

He will also be writing a presentation of each artist’s work. As Éric de Chassey points out: “The sole function of the visual arts is not one of representation or decoration, they also provide models that can guide our perception, thoughts and actions, in other words they contribute to constructing possible utopias. These utopias may be embodied in any form and with every medium, however in these uncertain times marked by major changes in society and the way we understand the world, they are often of a temporary and precarious nature and as such they are 'fragile utopias'."

^{© Jack Shear}

^{Éric de Chassey is the director of the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art (INHA), a teacher at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon and the former director of Villa Médici: The French academy in Rome. His latest publications include: Après la fin. Suspensions et reprises de la peinture dans les années 1960 et 1970 (Klincksieck, 2017) and L’abstraction avec ou sans raisons (Gallimard, 2017). In 2021-2022, he curated a number of exhibitions, such as Le surréalisme dans l’art américain, 1940-1970 (Centre de la Vieille Charité, Marseille), Napoléon? Encore! (Musée de l’Armée, Paris), Alex Katz. Floating Worlds (Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Pantin), Ettore Spalletti. Il cielo in una stanza (Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Rome) and Le désir de la ligne. Henri Matisse dans les collections Jacques Doucet (Musée Angladon, Avignon). In 2023, his exhibition Repetition can be seen at Centre Pompidou Metz.}

Selected artists:

Jean-Michel Alberola (b. 1953) - Templon
Yto Barrada (b. 1971) - Polaris
Cécile Bart (b. 1958) - Galerie Catherine Issert
Alice Bidault (b. 1994) - Pietro Spartà
Pierrette Bloch (1928-2017) - Galerie Zlotowski
Nicolas Chardon (b. 1974) - Oniris.art
Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979) - Galerie Berès
Mathilde Denize (b. 1986) - Perrotin
Nathalie du Pasquier (b. 1957) - Yvon Lambert
Philippe Favier (b. 1957) - Galerie 8+4
Elika Hedayat (b. 1979) - Aline Vidal Paris
Sarah Jérôme (b. 1979) - H Gallery
Benoît Maire (b. 1978) - Nathalie Obadia
Vera Molnár (1924-2023) - Verart Véronique Smagghe
Michel Parmentier (1938-2000) - Loevenbruck
Juliette Roche (1884-1980) - Pauline Pavec
Edgar Sarin (b. 1989) - Galerie Michel Rein
Daniel Schlier (b. 1960) - Galerie East
Assan Smati (b. 1972) - Nosbaum Reding
Maria Helena Vieira da Silva (1908-1992) - Galerie Jeanne Bucher Jaeger
Raphaël Zarka (b. 1977) - Mitterrand

Download the Fragile Utopias. A Focus on the French Scene by Éric de Chassey.

The BNP Paribas Private Bank Prize. A Focus on the French Scene, a new award with a prize of 30,000 euros to support art in France.

Ever since 2018, Art Paris has been showcasing and supporting the French scene by asking an exhibition curator to turn a subjective, historical, and critical eye on a selection of specific projects by French artists from among the participating galleries.

Keen to increase its support of the French art scene in 2024, Art Paris premium partner BNP Paribas Private Bank is joining forces with the fair to launch the BNP Paribas Private Bank Prize. A Focus on the French Scene.

The prize, worth €30,000, will be awarded by a prestigious jury on Wednesday 3 April 2024 at the opening of the fair to an artist, regardless of age, chosen from among the artists selected by Éric de Chassey for Fragile Utopias. A Focus on the French Scene.

Nominated artists:

Jean-Michel Alberola (b. 1953) – Templon
Yto Barrada (b. 1971) – Polaris
Cécile Bart (b. 1958) – Galerie Catherine Issert
Alice Bidault (b. 1994) – Pietro Spartà
Nicolas Chardon (b. 1974) – Oniris.art
Mathilde Denize (b. 1986) – Perrotin
Nathalie du Pasquier (b. 1957) – Yvon Lambert
Philippe Favier (b. 1957) – Galerie 8+4
Elika Hedayat (b. 1979) – Aline Vidal Paris
Sarah Jérôme (b. 1979) – H Gallery
Benoît Maire (b. 1978) – Nathalie Obadia
Edgar Sarin (b. 1989) – Galerie Michel Rein
Daniel Schlier (b. 1960) – Galerie East
Assan Smati (b. 1972) – Nosbaum Reding
Raphaël Zarka (b. 1977) – Mitterrand

The jury:

Éric de Chassey, Director of the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art (INHA), Teacher at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, invited guest curator for Art Paris 2024
Valérie Duponchelle, Journalist and Art Critic at Le Figaro
Christine Macel, Museum Director and Deputy General Manager at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
Nicolas Otton, Director BNP Paribas Banque Privée, France
Alfred Pacquement, Independent Exhibition Curator
Guillaume Piens, Fair Director Art Paris
Marie-Aline Prat, Art Historian and collector
Antonia Scintilla, Director Fondation d’entreprise Pernod Ricard, Paris