Second edition of Fine Arts and the Biennale, now FAB

Born last year from the merger of Fine Arts Paris and the Biennale, the new FAB show is expanding for its second edition, before undergoing its ultimate expansion next year with its installation in the restored Grand Palais. In the meantime, after the Carrousel du Louvre, it will occupy the so-called ephemeral Grand Palais, a structure that spoils the view of the École Militaire and further ruins the Champ-de-Mars, which didn’t need this. Fortunately, this building should be gone by next year.

1. Fine Arts Paris et la Biennale 2023
Photo : FAB

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Despite this unglamorous location, the show’s scenography is a perfect success (ill. 1). Neither too flashy nor too sparse, the shapes of the stands and aisles are of a rare elegance, and the colors are perfectly suited to the event. Just as you forget in Maastricht that you’re in a characterless environment, here you might think you’re in a beautiful building, in the heart of a lush garden.
As for the works presented, they are sufficiently numerous and of sufficient quality to satisfy all enthusiasts, whether or not they are wealthy, and whether or not they can come here to make purchases. We can imagine that in a year’s time, when the few major Parisian galleries still absent will reinforce this already substantial selection, accompanied by a few more English dealers, the show will move up a notch even further...

2. The French President visits the FAB show
Photo: Didier Rykner

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The objective is indeed ambitious, but on the way to being achieved: to finally bring back to Paris a major fine art fair, one that could eventually establish itself on a par with the Biennale des Antiquaires, in the past, and Tefaf in Maastricht. The Paris art market is so vigorous that nothing should stand in the way of this desire, unless the French State comes up with new, harmful ideas that could further weaken it. In this respect, the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron last Tuesday evening for the inauguration, accompanied by all the key players in the official world of culture is a rather positive sign.

3. Attributed to Gervais II Delabarre (1603-1650/53)
Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, c. 1630-1640
Polychrome and gilded terracotta - 70 x 55 x 35 cm
Galerie Sismann (purchase from the Jean-Claude Gandur Foundation)
Photo: Galerie Sismann

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As usual, here are just a few of the works we have selected from the show, which is obviously only a partial selection. We could multiply the examples. And we will shortly be reproducing some of the works that have already been acquired by museums that have been quite active since the first evening.
We’ll start with a superb 17th-century French sculpture, acquired not by a museum, but by a foundation, which will no doubt one day be exhibited in France, since it belongs to Jean-Claude Gandur. This 17th-century Virgin from the School of Le…