Reporting live from Art Basel at the Grand Palais, our editors Tschabalala Self and Emily Burke have compiled their top five booths from the fair.
Whether visiting Sarah Andelman’s recommendations for French bed linens, following Vincenzo de Bellis’s strict Paris itinerary or taking a lesson on the avant-garde from Pierre Alexandre Mateos and Charles Teyssou, there’s a lot to do in Paris this week. But let’s not forget why we’re in town- It’s Art Basel Paris, of course. The buzz for this iteration of the fair has been building since last year when the entire art world concluded in unison that, for the moment anyway, Paris is where it is.
1.Pace: At Pace, the booth was artist-led (always a winner with the Elephant editorial team) and curated by Paulina Olowska. The booth explores the role of witchcraft within the works of Kiki Smith, Lucas Samaras, Louise Nevelson and Olowska herself—perfect timing, given a certain spooky holiday on the horizon. You’ll want to dedicate a little extra time to this booth, as the emphasis is on the meaningful nature of each work. The works somehow resist being stripped of their context thanks to Olowska’s careful curation. One of our editors described this one as a “decadent delight.”
2. Exo Exo: Home talent, Exo Exo presents the work of French artist Lou Faroux. Her 3D installation, Keeping up without the plug, asks us to examine art’s relationship with technology and to imagine a post-internet future. The result is distinctly contemporary and vaguely esoteric.
3. Matthew Marks: Matthew Marks gave us clarity and confidence this year- a selection of eye-catching works including bright flowers from Elaine SturtEvant, a triumphant sculpture from Katharina Fritsch and something bodily from Robert Gober.
4. PPOW: PPOW was a potent mix of floral whimsy (see Grace Carney’s Signs of Life) and punchy symbolism (see Betty Tompkins Cunt Painting). Also of note is the inclusion of piece by Martin Wong.
5. Mendes Wood: Mendes Wood presents an exciting booth featuring Elephant alumni Pol Taburet (see Issue 49 of Elephant magazine), Marina Perez Simāo, and brand new work from Rio de Janero-born and raised artist Laís Amaral. Amaral’s works are delicate and textural, raw and finessed. If this sounds like an oxymoron, you should check out the works yourself.
Written by Emily Burke
