Both regional and cosmopolitan, Art Paris is a fair that focuses on discovery. It is
an unmissable spring event for modern and contemporary art in Paris. The fair is
also known for its themed based approach and its commitments that contribute
to the originality of this leading spring event and set it apart on the art calendar.
Following its themes about commitment and exile in 2023, Art Paris is pleased to
unveil its themes and guest curators for 2024:
Fragile Utopias. A Focus on the French Scene by Eric de Chassey
Art & Craft by Nicolas Trembley
Fragile Utopias. A Focus on the French Scene by Eric de Chassey
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 20 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 Eric 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.''
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.
Art & Craft by Nicolas Trembley
This theme’s title, curated by art critic and
independent exhibition curator Nicolas
Trembley, takes its name from the pioneering
Arts and Crafts movement that saw the light
of day in Great Britain at the end of the 19th
century. The theme will address the way in
which modern and contemporary artists
have taken – and continue to take – the
world of crafts (ceramics, glass, tapestry
etc) and make it their own, combining in so
doing thought and gesture. Around twenty
international artists will be chosen from
among the exhibiting galleries to comprise a
themed tour of the fair. Nicolas Trembley will
also write a text with a presentation of each
artist’s work.
To quote Nicolas Trembley: ''Although it is
true that the visual arts at the beginning
of the 20th century incorporated practices
more often associated with the applied
arts, the emergence of a more conceptual
form of contemporary art put an end to
this historical way of doing things. Since
the beginning of the 21 st century and the
development of a globalised art market that
pushes minority practices and groups to the
fore, we are witnessing the emergence of
artworks whose techniques are traditionally
related to artisanship. Furthermore, we
are rediscovering works by historical and
contemporary artists whose approach
borrows from the world of craft.''
Nicolas Trembley is an art critic, exhibition curation and
contemporary art advisor who shares his time between
Paris and Geneva. He is currently artistic director of the
Syz contemporary art collection. He has worked with
various cultural institutions, such as the MAMCO (Geneva),
Centre Pompidou (Paris), Le Consortium (Dijon) and
Musée Guimet (Paris).
One of his interests is in the connections between
contemporary art and artisanship. He has organised
numerous exhibitions on the subject, notably the touring
exhibition Sgrafo vs. fat lava - ceramics and porcelains
made in West Germany, 1960-1980, five different exhibitions
between 2013 and 2022 exploring the Mingei (folk crafts or
art of the people) movement in Japan, Expanded Craft in
Vienna and Craft at Galerie Francesca Pia (Zurich) in 2023.
His book Keramikos published by Buchhandlung Walther
König was awarded the Most Beautiful Swiss Book prize
in 2021.
