“Solo Show”: Seventeen Monographic Exhibitions

Seventeen solo shows spread throughout the fair allow visitors to discover or rediscover in depth the work of modern, contemporary or emerging artists.

Galerie Eric Linard is shining a light on the psychedelic pop period of Antoine de Margerie (1941- 2005) and more particularly his gradual transition towards abstraction in the 1960s/70s. Exploring abstraction and the whole gamut of possibilities offered by painting is at the heart of the work of Spanish artist Carlos Léon on the stand of Galeria Fernando Pradilla. Ernest Pignon Ernest pays tribute to poets from Rimbaud to René Char with a selection of drawings and portraits at Art to Be Gallery, whereas Galerie Catherine Issert has given carte blanche to Jean Charles Blais, who has selected an ensemble of works in which “each painting follows on from the previous one, producing its continuation by combining all that has gone before”.

In tune with this edition’s theme of nature and the environment, Vincent Laval both defends and portrays the forest in his brilliant and poetic sculptures on show at Galerie Sono, whereas at the booth of Le Feuvre & Roze, Julien Colombier has recreated an attractive and yet disturbing jungle as part of an immersive installation in pastel. Galerie Bessières is exhibiting works by Hala Schoukair , whose organic and mineral creations that evoke the smallest parts of nature are born from the meticulous repetition of a single motif.

The African art scene takes centre stage with a solo show focusing on South African “visual activist” Zanele Muholi at Galerie Carole Kvasnevski. The exhibit features Muholi’s paintings, a new medium for the artist, which explore the themes of identity, gender and the representation of black people throughout history.

Questions of politics and identity are expressed in the photographic portraits of migrants veiled in boldly patterned fabrics by Yemeni artist Alia Ali at 193 Gallery. Shagha Ariannia addresses the same questions in her brightly coloured paintings that scrutinise the body and its desires on the stand of SEPTIEME Gallery.

The current effervescence in figurative painting is apparent in the mysterious, narrative world of Chinese artist Rao Fu at Galerie Vazieux, the trompe-l’oeil, oil on canvas still-lifes of American artist Tyler Thacker (Galerie Pact) and the naïve, disproportionate figures of Tony Toscani(Stems Gallery), which are inspired by the history of art, whilst embodying the melancholy of disillusioned youth.

Finally, the photographic installations of Thomas Devaux exhibited by Galerie Bacqueville instil a contemplative mood and encourage a spiritual interpretation that is a far cry from the realities of consumer society, whereas the smartphone images found on the web and manipulated by Alina Frieske (Fabienne Levy Gallery) have a whole new story to tell.

Alia Ali (1985), 193 Gallery
Shagha Arianna (1984), Septieme Gallery
Jean-Charles Blais (1956), Galerie Catherine Issert
Julien Colombier (1972), Galerie Le Feuvre & Roze
Thomas Devaux (1980), Galerie Bacqueville
Alina Frieske (1994), Fabienne Levy
Nicolas Henry (1978), Loft Art Gallery
Philippe Hiquily (1925-2013), Galerie Patrice Trigano
Vincent Laval (1991), Galerie Sono
Carlos León (1948), Galería Fernando Pradilla
Antoine de Margerie (1941-2005), Eric Linard Galerie
Zanele Muholi (1972), Galerie Carole Kvasnevski
Ernest Pignon-Ernest (1942), Art to Be Gallery
Rao Fu (1978), Galerie Vazieux
Hala Schoukair (1957), Galerie Bessières
Tyler Thacker (1984), Galerie Pact
Tony Toscani (1986), Stems Gallery

With the support of: