FIAC 2021 Returns to Paris with New Venue and Strong Sales Despite Pandemic Challenges

festival-fair · 2026-04-23

From October 21 to 24, 2021, the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris hosted the French International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) while renovations were underway. The event saw robust participation from galleries spanning Europe, Africa, and Asia, despite some organizational challenges. Among the notable transactions was Thaddaeus Ropac's sale of Georg Baselitz's 'Bad in Flur' (2021) for 1.2 million euros. Works by George Condo and Jean-Michel Basquiat were displayed by Galerie 1900-2000, and Brazilian artist Julio Villani sold a painting from 1992. The fair highlighted Black artists, with Templon showcasing Senegalese artist Omar Ba. Additionally, FIAC's Hors les Murs program, in partnership with the Louvre, featured about 20 installations in the Jardin des Tuileries. Attendees needed a health pass due to pandemic measures.

Key facts

FIAC 2021 took place from October 21 to 24 in Paris.
The fair was held at the Grand Palais Éphémère, a temporary structure designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte.
Thaddaeus Ropac sold Georg Baselitz's 'Bad in Flur' (2021) for 1.2 million euros.
Georg Baselitz has a retrospective at the Centre Pompidou until March 7, 2022.
Galerie 1900-2000, founded in 1972, was advised by Man Ray and focuses on Dadaism, Surrealism, Pop, and Hyperrealism.
Brazilian artist Julio Villani, based in Paris since 1982, sold a 1992 painting on the first day.
Figurative works by Alice Neel, Chen Ke, Jean-Michel Othoniel, and Yves Laloy were sold early.
Victoria Miro presented a series of 10 pastels by Chantal Joffe titled 'What I did not see' (2019).
Templon presented a work by Senegalese artist Omar Ba, born in 1977.
Christian Berst Art Brut featured Czech artist Luboš Plný, whose work has been shown at the Venice Biennale and Musée National d'Art Moderne de Paris.
Brazilian gallery Jaqueline Martins, with a new branch in Brussels, presented wooden sculptures.
FIAC's Hors les Murs program, with the Louvre, featured around 20 installations in the Jardin des Tuileries and central Paris.
Entry to venues in France required a health pass due to pandemic measures.
The Grand Palais Éphémère was authorized by the National Museum Meeting and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Committee.
The fair reported organizational challenges including poor scheduling systems and inadequate visitor services.

Entities

Artists

Georg Baselitz
Man Ray
George Condo
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Julio Villani
Alice Neel
Chen Ke
Jean-Michel Othoniel
Yves Laloy
Chantal Joffe
Omar Ba
Luboš Plný
Francisco Brennand
José Cláudio
Montez Magno
Mari Ra
Zé di Cabeça
Fabio Miguez
Adenor Gondim
Luciano Feijão
Júlio Bittencourt
Marlene Barros
Claudia Alarcón
Deborah Paiva
Nuno Ramos
Marcos Amaro
Anna Atkins
Elizabeth B. Brownell
Eslanda Cardozo Goode Robeson
Annette Messager
Angèle Etoundi Essamba
Hiromix
Claudia Andujar
Maureen Bisilliat
Gretta Sarfaty
Vilma Slomp
Claudia Jaguaribe
Anna Mariani
Stefania Bril
Thalita Hamaoui
Rogério Medeiros
Rafael Hayashi
Lázaro Roberto
Ivald Granato
Felipe Rezende
Andrea Brazil
Darks Miranda
Flávia Metzler
Ivan Cardoso
Yuli Yamagata
Georg Heinrich von Langsdorff
Ludwig Riedel
Néster Rubtsov
Aimé-Adrien Taunay
Hercule Florence
Wilhelmine von Langsdorff
Flavia Renault
Belony Ferreira
Mestre Didi
Paulo Pedro Leal
Alberto Henschel

Institutions

FIAC
Grand Palais Éphémère
Grand Palais
Thaddaeus Ropac
Centre Pompidou
Galerie 1900-2000
Victoria Miro
Templon
Christian Berst Art Brut
Venice Biennale
Musée National d'Art Moderne de Paris
Jaqueline Martins
Louvre
Galeria Galatea Salvador
Nara Roesler
Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo (MAES)
Sesc Sorocaba
CAIXA Cultural São Paulo
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte (CCBB BH)
MASP
Janaina Torres Galeria
FAMA Museu
IMS - Instituto Moreira Salles
10x10 Photobooks
Getty Research Institute
Museo Reina Sofía
Rijksmuseum
New York Public Library
Simões de Assis
Galeria Estúdio Reverso
NND|Azeco
DAN Galeria
Casa de Cultura do Parque
Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin - USP
Instituto Hercule Florence
Documenta Pantanal
Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
Instituto Moreira Salles (IMS)
Centro Maria Antônia da USP
Galeria Nara Roesler - SP
Fonte
Carmo Johnson Projects
Itaú Cultural
Pina Luz
Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc
Ilê Asipá
Met
MoMA
Phi Projetos
Cinnamon
Coleção Jorge M. Pérez
El Espacio 23
Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea (ICCo)
Secretaria da Cultura (Secultes)
Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espirito Santo (Funcultura)
Política Nacional Aldir Blanc (PNAB)
Ministério da Cultura (MINC)
Midiateca Capixaba
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Universidade de Aveiro
Ateliê Marlene Barros
Ponto de Cultura Coletivo ZBM
Coleção Ronaldo Domingues de Almeida
Movimento Grevista Negro
Capela João de Camargo
Clube 28 de Setembro
Monumento Pelourinho
Monumento à Mãe Preta
Paris Photo
Livraria da Travessa
Roesler Hotel
Coleção Cyrillo Hercules Florence
Coleção Christian-Jack Heymès
Coleção Mastrobuono
Serviço de Repressão à Mendicância
Terreiro Ilê Asipá

Locations

Paris
France
Champ de Mars
Place Joffre
Jardin des Tuileries
Salvador
Brazil
Bahia
Vitória
Espírito Santo
Sorocaba
São Paulo
Belo Horizonte
Minas Gerais
Argentina
Paraguay
Gran Chaco
La Puntana
Recife
Pernambuco
Olinda
Campo Grande
Mato Grosso do Sul
Itu
Nova York
United States
Los Angeles
Madri
Spain
Amsterdã
Netherlands
Miami
Porto Feliz
Mato Grosso
Grão-Pará
Amazonas
Tietê
Pantanal
Santo Antônio da Patrulha
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio de Janeiro
Algarve
Portugal
Zurich
Switzerland
Bruxelas
Belgium
Africa
Asia
Europe
Senegal
Czech Republic
Tokyo
Japan
Mumbai
India
Pequim
China
Jacarta
Indonesia
Cameroon
Fortaleza
Ceará
Ilha de Itaparica
Recôncavo Baiano
Guandu
Santiago
Aveiro
Vila Madalena
Boaçava
Alto de Pinheiros
Bela Vista
Bom Retiro
Jardim Paulista
Vila Nova Conceição
Centro
Cidade Universitária
Funcionários
Jardim Faculdade

Sources

ARTE!Brasileiros — 2021-12-16