Art Paris 2026, the key spring fair for modern and Contemporary Art
Spring is here and Art Paris blooms!
The 28th edition will be focusing on the themes of language and reparation 9/12 APRIL 2026 – at the GRAND PALAIS in Paris. After a triumphant return to the Grand Palais in 2025, Art Paris will once again take place from 9-12 April in the majestic nave and on the balconies of this iconic Parisian monument. The 28th edition will host around 165 French and international galleries from some twenty countries, offering an ambitious programme that supports the French scene while fostering dialogue with artists and galleries from across the world. Two themes have been entrusted to this year’s guest curators. The first, Babel – Art and Language in France, curated by Loïc Le Gall, focuses on the French scene, while the second, Reparation, curated by Alexia Fabre, brings an international perspective to the fair. A comprehensive events programme, including three major prizes, exhibitions and conferences completes the offering. Through the Art Paris VIP programme, collectors and art professionals invited during this spring art week will be able to choose from 33 exclusive exhibition visits and tours of Parisian cultural institutions.
The 2026 selection embodies the unique identity of Art Paris, a fair that is both regional and cosmopolitan and, as ever, a place of artistic discovery. French galleries make up 60% of the exhibitors and the remaining 40% are international galleries; 29% of this edition’s participants are new to the fair. These figures underline the way Art Paris showcases the sheer wealth and depth of the French gallery ecosystem, from big name international galleries to unique modern and contemporary art galleries from every corner of France. Art Paris is also committed to supporting young galleries, notably with the Promesses sector for young galleries and emerging artists.
French galleries exhibiting for the first time in 2026 include: Bendana-Pinel, In Situ - Fabienne Leclerc, Iragui Gallery , Pietro Sparta and Galerie Papillon, who join the contingent of long-standing regulars, such as Galleria Continua, Jeanne Bucher Jaeger, Lelong, Loevenbruck, Nathalie Obadia, Michel Rein, Almine Rech, Semiose, Templon and Waddington Custot, to name but a few.
The 12 finalists for
the Her Art Prize 2026
The internationally recognised prize for women artists at Art Paris 2026, initiated by Marie Claire magazine and in partnership with Maison Boucheron. Twelve finalists for the Her Art Prize 2026 have been selected by art consultant, curator and Marie Claire contributor Marion Vignal, in collaboration with Art Paris fair director Guillaume Piens:
• Kenia Almaraz Murillo (b. 1994, Bolivia) – Galerie Waddington-Custot
• Alice Bidault (b. 1994, France) – Galerie Pietro Spartà
• Shilpa Gupta (b. 1976, India) – Galleria Continua
• Janet Laurence (b. 1947, Australia) – Cassandra Bird Gallery
• Christiane Löhr (b. 1965, Germany) – Argo Fine Arts
• Juanita McLauchlan (b. 1975, Australia) – Cassandra Bird Gallery
• Otobong Nkanga (b. 1974, Nigeria) – In Situ – Fabienne Leclerc & Lumen
Travo Gallery
• Sarah Ouhaddou (b. 1986, France / Morocco) – Galerie Polaris
• Nazanin Pouyandeh (b. 1981, Iran) – Templon
• Elsa Sahal (b. 1975, France) – Galerie Papillon
• Mary Sibande (b. 1982, South Africa) – Everard Read
• Sandra Vásquez de la Horra (b. 1967, Chile) – Galerie Bendana | Pinel Art Contemporain
This very international selection showcases committed women from different generations (from 32 years old for the youngest to 79 for the oldest), whose work encompasses themes in connection with the environment and the living world (Alice Bidault, Janet Laurence, Christiane Löhr); the violence to which women are subjected and the wounds of history and its injustices (Otobong Nangka, Nazanin Pouyandeh, Shilpa Gupta, Mary Sibande); or the search for identity and memories of ancestral gestures (Sandra Vasquez de la Horra, Juanita McLauchlan, Elsa Sahal, Kenia Almaraz Murillo, Sarah Ouhaddou).
The Her Art Prize was launched in 2025 as a result of a partnership between Art Paris, Marie Claire and Maison Boucheron. It rewards the career of a unique woman artist and a strong body of work that has contributed to moving the lines. A prestigious jury comprising personalities from the arts and creative industries and presided over by actor and artist Louise Bourgoin will come together to choose a winner from among the dozen or so finalists selected from among this year’s exhibitors. The winner will receive the Her Art Prize and 30,000 euros in prize money presented by Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO of Maison Boucheron at Art Paris 2026 during a ceremony organised on Saturday 11 April. In addition, the winning artist will benefit from a domestic and international promotional campaign expertly organised by Marie Claire and Art Paris.
For more information do visit www.artparis.com
@titinapenzini