Paris, February 29, 2024 — The Marais district of Paris is experiencing a resurgence as a vibrant hub for contemporary art, a shift marked by Thursday evening gallery openings and a renewed sense of creative energy. This revival is prompting some to declare that the city is reclaiming its position as a global art capital.
“In 2007, All My New York Friends Told Me There Was No Avant-Garde in Paris”
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The French art scene is attracting both established and emerging artists, fueled by a unique blend of cultural inspiration and social support.
At the “H Gallery” on Rue Chapon, painter Lucile Piketty unveiled her latest collection, expressing a mix of excitement and apprehension. “It’s the first presentation of all the works. There’s obviously a little stress about the reception,” Piketty explained, surrounded by visitors, collectors, and fellow artists. The series reflects a more intimate and personal direction in her work, inspired by her experiences since becoming a mother.
Nearby, gallerist Hélianthe Bourdeau-Morin echoed the optimistic mood, recalling the energy she experienced during a decade in New York. “I confess I’m very happy to be here and now in Paris,” she said. The Parisian art landscape is flourishing with new gallery openings, increasing attendance at art fairs, and the recent arrival of major private institutions like the Bourse de Commerce (Pinault Foundation) and the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain.
What factors are contributing to Paris’s art scene revival? The opening of new galleries, increased attendance at art fairs, the establishment of major private institutions, and a growing appeal to international artists seeking social support are all playing a role.
“I think it’s a very, very good moment,” Bourdeau-Morin continued. “The French often tend to think the grass is greener elsewhere. But I want to say that we’ve always had extraordinary artistic quality, we just haven’t always known how to see it.” Daniele Balice, of the Balice Hertling gallery, agreed, stating, “All my friends from New York told me there was no avant-garde in Paris, no artists. But I always believed Paris was the ideal ground for the avant-garde. There’s an intellectual and cultural activity here that is very inspiring for artists.”
Balice emphasized that Paris offers a crucial safety net for artists. “For an American artist, coming to Paris is realizing that we have a social system that allows artists to survive,” he explained. “I think in recent years, between the pandemic and everything that followed, many artists in the United States have understood that there may be alternatives here that allow them to work.”
A France Attractive for Foreign Artists
The pandemic, Brexit, Russia’s isolation, and the election of Donald Trump have all contributed to France’s appeal to artists. This ecosystem extends beyond Paris itself, with residencies and workshops like Artagon in Pantin and Poush in Aubervilliers providing support for artists. Piketty, who works at Poush, noted that approximately 30 to 40 percent of the 250 artists there are foreign, demonstrating the city’s growing international draw. However, she also acknowledged the ongoing precarity faced by artists, highlighting the differences between the status of an artist-author and that of an intermittent performer, with a current legislative proposal addressing income stability.
The Centre Pompidou, Pivot of the Quarter
While the artistic dynamism radiates throughout the Parisian suburbs, the heart of the scene remains central Paris, with the Centre Pompidou as a key landmark. Currently undergoing renovations (described by the institution as a “metamorphosis”), the Pompidou has launched numerous off-site exhibitions across France. Despite this, its presence remains vital to the area connecting the Bourse de Commerce and the Marais galleries.
In January, the Centre Pompidou will open “Maison Pompidou” in a nearby pavilion formerly housing the Brancusi Workshop. This space will serve as an information and exhibition hub, maintaining the institution’s connection to the neighborhood. “We were obviously at the center of this crossroads, and for the years of metamorphosis, we wanted to offer our cultural, artistic, social, and educational partners a way to maintain the link,” explained David Cascaro, director of public services at the Centre Pompidou. “The building itself will continue to attract, even if it will be partially surrounded by scaffolding. And so the idea is also to have the project space facing the building that is being transformed during these years.”
“More Dynamic Scene” with Public-Private Partnerships
“Maison Pompidou” will be complemented by the broader “Plateau Pompidou” program, extending throughout the district and including collaborations with private foundations like Lafayette Anticipations, the Galeries Lafayette foundation. Clément Delepine, the new director of Lafayette Anticipations and former director of Art Basel Paris, praised these public-private partnerships. “I think we’re living in a cultural moment that is more open, in a way, to the realities of the market, to private funds, and that makes the scene more dynamic from my point of view: there are new galleries opening, and 50% of art transactions in the European Union take place in France,” the fourth-largest art market globally.
“But there’s also a real symbolic power,” Delepine continued. “Paris was the capital of the arts in the first half of the 20th century. It’s true, it lost that status to cities like London or New York. And today, I think that, whether for business or avant-garde practices, Paris can offer both.” With a revitalized atmosphere attracting tourists and artists alike, Paris is inching closer to the vision Georges Pompidou had when establishing the Centre Pompidou in the early 1970s—to challenge New York’s dominance in the art world. It has, however, taken over fifty years to achieve.
