Today and yesterday I visited the work on show at FIAC. The contemporary art fair held once a year in Paris. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it. There was a lot of very good work. Some was surprising and there definately seems to be a two tiered system at work. In the FIAC Louvre exhibition the work is not so dynamic, if at all. The impression you get is a mix of student work and pretty good images or sculpture. It wasn't really impressive and almost put me off visiting the FIAC at the Grand Palais. I did enjoy the buzz at the Louvre though. There was some really bad, cheap looking, shock orientated/attempted stuff there. Bit sad.
The Grand Palais was a completely different affair. The Palais itself is an amazing building. So the setting was perfect for this event. As I entered the first thing I was drawn to was an exhibition of paintings in the gallery Landau (to the right in the photo). It has contemporary work with feet firmly planted in classical. Sometimes painting mixed with photography. Other pieces of glass sculpture which are abstract and interesting. The rest of the galleries had very impressive work too. Some excellent combinations of sculpture and painting to create optical illusions, others with very daring pieces of art.
Observing the body language of dealers was especially interesting. Some seemed to be almost like accountants, dressed in suits and lost in their computers, calculating the value of the work based on the insecurity of the stockmarket. Others were genuinely relaxed and aware, very human with the people they encountered. Particularly the Parisian galleries. I was impressed by the dealers and the work they had on display. Everything from latex abstract sculptures to beautiful portraits and digital prints (going for enormous amounts of money). It was a very worth while two days of exploration. I'll post more photos, perhaps.
