Collector Mauro De Iorio Reports Paris Still Struggling Post-Pandemic During FIAC

During FIAC 2021 in Paris, Italian collector Mauro De Iorio shares his observations on the city's post-pandemic state. He notes the disappearance of iconic food shops Fauchon and Hédiard from Place de la Madeleine, replaced by Chanel and Dior, and many closed small businesses. Restaurants like Châteaubriand, Frenchie, Helen, and Septime, previously impossible to book, now offer tables easily. Paris Internationale felt subdued compared to previous editions. FIAC itself, held in a temporary structure instead of the Grand Palais, had a lower-key atmosphere, though exceptional high-priced works by established artists were present. Fewer Italian collector friends attended. Notable art installations included a red Calder sculpture near Place Vendôme. De Iorio visited the newly renovated Samaritaine with its Art Nouveau interiors, dinners at Clearing and Balice Hertling, and galleries including High Art (Max Hooper Schneider) and Balice Hertling (Ser Serpas). He toured the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, renovated by Tadao Ando, seeing works also in his own collection. Other visits included Palais de Tokyo for an Anne Imhof performance, and Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain for the ceramics exhibition Les Flammes, featuring a Simone Leigh sculpture on loan from De Iorio. He plans to see the Morozov collection at Fondation Louis Vuitton. Despite the current struggles, De Iorio believes Paris will soon recover its splendor.