The international art fair calendar is notoriously crowded. Just as visitors to Frieze London have taken off their trainers, they might be putting them back on and dashing off to Art Basel Paris, which opens on 22 October, only three days after Frieze concludes. The French edition takes place in the magnificent Grand Palais, under its soaring glass roof, adding further allure to the event.
With Paris often thought to be gaining the upper hand compared to London, there have been voices in the trade wondering whether even the original fair in the Swiss city of Basel will gradually lose its importance, compared to the French event. Could it even close one day?
Audiences for these top-tier art fairs are beginning to fragment
There is no doubt that Paris is on a high. It boasts some spectacular private museums—the Fondation Louis Vuitton (bankrolled by the luxury-goods company LVMH) and Bourse du Commerce (bankrolled by the luxury-goods magnate François Pinault). And on 25 October, the Fondation Cartier flings open the doors of its new Jean Nouvel-designed home—slap bang by the Louvre. Everyone loves visiting Paris.
By contrast, it is no secret that the London art scene is experiencing turbulence. There has been a “wealth drain” of moneyed patrons fleeing to more tax-friendly shores. Brexit has introduced significant logistical challenges for art dealers, including complicated tax and import/export regulations, increased paperwork, and the loss of the UK’s status as a preferential entry point to the European Union owing to the 5.5% import tariff on art.
Does Paris doing so well mean that Switzerland will lose out? According to Marc Spiegler, former global director of Art Basel: “On the one hand, it’s hard to argue with the glamour of Paris, its high-end luxury shopping and dozens of chic restaurants.
But there are two things which make the Basel show very distinctive. One is Unlimited, the sector for monumental and important works of art. The other is that because of its long history, the Basel fair attracts a very sophisticated audience. And, precisely because it’s not in a metropolis, it has an intimate tenor that is very specific and cannot be replicated elsewhere.”
In addition, Art Basel offers much more space for galleries; the Grand Palais, while a beautiful location, only has 206 booths, compared to the 289 offered this year in the admittedly more functional Messe Basel—which MCH owns.
Nevertheless, as my colleague Tim Schneider has observed, audiences for these top-tier art fairs are beginning to fragment. Europeans may choose to miss one of the major fairs—London, Paris or Basel. Frieze has also established a global presence, hosting events in cities like Los Angeles, New York, Seoul and, from next year, Abu Dhabi.
Consequently, affluent art buyers can select which fairs to attend without feeling compelled to visit them all, something that was less true before these global brands extended around the world.
The all-important American collectors may also be tempted to visit only one European fair in the autumn, choosing between London and Paris. This is likely why this year’s Frieze and Art Basel Paris are programmed with such a small gap between them. The expectation is that visitors, particularly from the US, will take in the two fairs while on their trip to Europe.
In journalism, it is often said that if a question is posed in a headline, the answer is nearly always “no”—otherwise, the headline would be a statement. So to the question, “Is Art Basel Paris set to consume the Swiss original?”, the answer seems still to be a clear… no!
