Art Basel, which belongs to Switzerland's MCH Group, will stage a new contemporary and Modern art fair at the prestigious Grand Palais in Paris, in the place of FIAC, the International Contemporary Art Fair of Paris that was held for almost half a century at the iconic Grand Palais. The nomination of Art Basel instead of FIAC follows a public competition initiated by the Réunion des musées nationaux, Grand Palais in December last year. This new project of international stature will build bridges with France’s cultural industries, from fashion and design to film and music, to create a flagship event that radiates throughout the city and is firmly embedded in Paris and its cultural scene.

“With its incomparable history and contemporary dynamism, Paris is uniquely positioned as a pivotal epicenter of the international cultural scene,” says Marc Spiegler, global director, Art Basel. “We aim to build on Paris’s unparalleled standing as a global metropolis to help create a vibrant week that even further amplifies the city’s international resonance as a cultural capital.”

Art Basel is an international market leader in the art world with fairs in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. The future Parisian flair will work closely with Paris’s museums, private institutions, galleries, and other cultural spaces, to create an active cultural program from morning to night, all week, and throughout the city. It will take place in October 2022 and it will initially take place at the Grand Palais’s temporary venue, the Grand Palais Éphémère, located in the historic heart of Paris on the Champ-de-Mars, until the restoration of the Grand Palais is completed in 2024.