FIAC's split between Grand Palais and Docks reflects deepening art world divide

In an editorial for artpress, Catherine Millet reflects on the growing divide within the contemporary art world, prompted by the 2013 FIAC art fair which was split between two venues: the Grand Palais (uptown) and the Cité de la mode et du design (downtown). The former attracted large crowds and a chic, sometimes bling-bling atmosphere, while the latter, housing more experimental works, saw far fewer visitors. Millet interviews Georges-Philippe Vallois, president of the Comité professionnel des galeries d'art, to discuss this transformation. She notes that while queues lengthen at the uptown fair, galleries are experiencing desertification. She attributes this to instant information from the internet and the confusion of art with entertainment. Millet argues that galleries remain essential for discovering young artists and forming intimate relationships with works. She also recounts reactions at the Jeff Koons exhibition at Centre Pompidou, where a visitor lamented that the press misleads the public about contemporary art. Millet, who began working in the 1970s, concludes that the work of convincing the public and institutions has become increasingly difficult.