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The International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC 2009) Opens in Paris Today

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Written by Arno Lemonnier   
Thursday, 22 October 2009 01:17

The sculpture "Personnage pour Washington Parade", 1973 by artist Jean Dubuffet seen on the eve of the opening of the International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC 2009) in Paris October 21, 2009. Photo: Reuters/Jacky Naegelen.

PARIS.- The 36th edition of the International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC 2009) in Paris , which will take place from October 22 to October 25 at the Grand Palais, the Cour Carre'e of the Louvre Museum and in the Tuileries Garden, will bring together 180 modern and contemporary art galleries. FIAC, this year will be offering 25 Museum-Quality Artworks with Multimillion-Dollar Price Tags

The FIAC and its official partner, the Groupe Galeries Lafayette, will launch a new program designed to support galleries of the younger generation, to be presented in the Cour Carre'e of the Louvre Museum. Jury members, Christine Macel, Hans-Ulrich Obrist and Marc-Olivier Wahler, have selected 14 galleries for the quality of their projects for FIAC, and the prospective dimension of their exhibition programs throughout the year. The program will provide significant financial support to each of them.

This project reflects the joint desire of FIAC and the Groupe Galeries Lafayette to provide active and tangible support to the actors of the emerging art scene internationally. FIAC affirms its belief in the necessity - reinforced by the current contextual difficulties - to encourage and highlight emerging tendencies. The Groupe Galeries Lafayette's commitment to this program is yet another aspect of the broad reaching support it provides all year round and in all phases of the chain of production and transmission of contemporary creation, in which galleries play a vital role.

Tuileries Gardens
For the fourth consecutive year, in collaboration with the Muse'e du Louvre, FIAC presents a program of outdoor projects in the Jardin des Tuileries. The growing interest for this annual event among galleries and artists - together with the exceptional beauty of the site - has enabled us to us to bring together over fifteen projects, including sculptures, installations, performances and ephemeral creations, deployed in the garden's fountains, basins, lawns, alleys and groves.

Two ephemeral works will be presented:
On Tuesday, October 20th, Rendez-vous at 10:00 pm on the Lemonnier Terrace overlooking the Jardin des Tuileries between the Carrousel du Louvre and the entrance to the gardens for an unforgettable and unprecedented experience: Fabien Giraud & Raphaël Siboni will present a new work consisting in the simultaneous ignition of an entire fireworks display. Presented by Galerie Loevenbruck (Paris) with the support of Diesel, in partnership with FIAC and the Louvre Museum.

The painting "Head III", 1949 by artist Francis Bacon at the International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC 2009) in Paris. Photo: Reuters/Jacky Naegelen.

On Saturday October 24 at 4:00 pm Prinz Gholam (Wolfgang Prinz & Michel Gholam) will present their performance "Air" near the northern exedra of the Tuileries Gardens (a rectangular pond situated parallel to the central alley). In choreographed sequences alternating fixed postures and transitory movements, Prinz Gholam's performances reinterpret the attitudes and bodily gestures of the pictorial and sculptural tradition (expected duration: 20 mins.).

Ouvertures / Openings
Ouvertures / Openings, the result of the collaboration between FIAC, and the Auditorium du Louvre, will be held for the second time in the fall of 2008. Combining the latest performance practices with an interaction of several contemporary art disciplines, this program is situated at the intersection of music, contemporary dance, performance art and theatre. With its variety of experimental live events, Ouvertures/Openings explores new areas in the field of artistic performance.

Prix Marcel Duchamp
Four artists nominated for the 2009 edition: Saâdane Afif, Damien Deroubaix, Nicolas Moulin and Philippe Perrot.

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