The 1999 edition of the Paris International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) opened on September 14th 1999 in a new exhibition hall much more suited to this major event.
The FIAC has moved to the impressive exhibition hall of the Pte de Versailles and has taken the opportunity to inaugurate a cyberspace, to organise debates and to enlarge its exhibition surface where galleries selling photographies, prints or monumental sculpture works have been welcomed.
Latin America has been given a major role during the FIAC which coincides with other major events in Paris such as Art Paris, another Contemporary art fair organised at the Carrousel of the Louvre museum where new talents may be discovered.
Due to last until September 20th, the FIAC is first inviting visitors to discover the submarine of Belgian artist Panamarenko loaned by the Cartier Foundation which has been supporting many new galleries now exhibiting works at the Porte de Versailles.
This event first took place in 1974 at the Bastille square and then two years later at the Grand Palais before moving to the Quai Branly compound in 1994.
First of all visitors will not meet any problem to park their cars while the site seems much more adapted that the circus tent of Quai Branly. Galleries are thus being offered ideal working conditions over 18 000 square metres.
The Louis Carré Gallery is showing a giant metal fountain by Pol Bury whose sculpture works form the bulk of what gallery owner Patrick bongers has decided to present. «Such installation, with 3000 litres of water, would not have been possible Quai Branly and it is a pleasure to show such a work to the public,» Bongers stressed.
Much accent has been put on new technologies at the FIAC where young Internet designers will have the opportunity to show their creations. Visitors will also be able to surf on many Contemporary art web sites, to discover CD-Roms works dedicated to several artists and schools and to take part in a series of public debates. A live show of the FIAC will be carried out permanently through Canal-web.net ran by art critic Philippe Piguet and Véronique Hillereau, a journalist.
The 1999 edition of the Paris International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) opened on September 14th 1999 in a new exhibition hall much more suited to this major event.
The FIAC has moved to the impressive exhibition hall of the Pte de Versailles and has taken the opportunity to inaugurate a cyberspace, to organise debates and to enlarge its exhibition surface where galleries selling photographies, prints or monumental sculpture works have been welcomed.
Latin America has been given a major role during the FIAC which coincides with other major events in Paris such as Art Paris, another Contemporary art fair organised at the Carrousel of the Louvre museum where new talents may be discovered.
Due to last until September 20th, the FIAC is first inviting visitors to discover the submarine of Belgian artist Panamarenko loaned by the Cartier Foundation which has been supporting many new galleries now exhibiting works at the Porte de Versailles.
This event first took place in 1974 at the Bastille square and then two years later at the Grand Palais before moving to the Quai Branly compound in 1994.
First of all visitors will not meet any problem to park their cars while the site seems much more adapted that the circus tent of Quai Branly. Galleries are thus being offered ideal working conditions over 18 000 square metres.
The Louis Carré Gallery is showing a giant metal fountain by Pol Bury whose sculpture works form the bulk of what gallery owner Patrick bongers has decided to present. «Such installation, with 3000 litres of water, would not have been possible Quai Branly and it is a pleasure to show such a work to the public,» Bongers stressed.
Much accent has been put on new technologies at the FIAC where young Internet designers will have the opportunity to show their creations. Visitors will also be able to surf on many Contemporary art web sites, to discover CD-Roms works dedicated to several artists and schools and to take part in a series of public debates. A live show of the FIAC will be carried out permanently through Canal-web.net ran by art critic Philippe Piguet and Véronique Hillereau, a journalist.
Those who are not accustomed with the Internet will be offered the choice to sit at the Café des Arts where debates will take place on art, education and the art market.
Still, the FIAC organisers have limited the participation of galleries to 182 whereas many gallery owners thought the new compound would have offered them a chance to exhibit the works of their artists but members of the selection committee have remained quite conservative beside having to struggle with candidates regarding the allocation of exhibition spots. Their only concession was made vis à vis galleries selling photographies, prints and monumental sculptures, a formidable risk since it is the first time that such an initiative has been taken in Paris.
Swedish artist Erik Dietman, who has been working in France since 1959, is notably exhibiting three monumental works including a huge assemblage of iron and aluminium bears, an idea that clicked to his mind after the funeral of French sculptor Cesar Baldaccini, called Cesar, earlier this year. On leaving the cemetery, he found a wooden bear in the shop of an antique dealer and worked after it with a computer to achieve this gigantic sculpture.
The main problem in the mind of many exhibitors is the expatriation of the FIAC in an area of Paris which is not really a focus point for contemporary art despite the vicinity of the Grande Chaumière studio where so many famous artists such as Modigliani, Chagall or Soutine, used to work during the 1930's. Many important gallery owners have thus decided not to take part in this edition such as Jan Krugier or Pierre Huber from Geneva. Bruno Bishofberger, an important dealer, has also decided to abstain but the works of his favourite artists, Miguel Barcelo and Francisco Clemente, will be seen in other stalls still.
However, Hans Mayer from Dusseldorf and Helly Nahmad from London are here to save the FIAC. The Nahmad family is much famous on the art market and collectors will not fail to pay Helly a visit to acquire some important works as much impressive as the 1918 Fernand Léger or the 1931 Mondrian he offered at US $ 12 million and 5 million at the Basel fair last June. He intends to come to Paris with some very interesting pieces with a view of testing the buying capacity of French collectors.
Meanwhile Art Paris, at the Carrousel of the Louvre Museum, will take part from September 17th until September 20th to be in tune with the FIAC.
This event has already been hailed as an anti-FIAC as it offers many galleries which have been rejected by the organisers of the FIAC a good opportunity to present the works of some artists who might become the stars of tomorrow.
Many provincial galleries as well as others from Latin America, Korea, Europe and even Lebanon are taking part in this showing while visitors will also have the opportunity of discovering the open-air exhibition of sculptures taking place on the Champs Elysées from September 15th until November 14th while an important sale of contemporary and modern sculpture works will be organised at Bagatelle, in the Bois de Boulogne, on September 18th 1999 with works by Carpeaux, Rodin, Sol Lewitt, Tony Cragg, Fontana or Tinguely.
On the same day, the National School of Beaux Arts Quai Malaquais will open an exhibition titled «Social Body» with the participation of about thirty young artists born between 1945 and 1973 who have chosen the human body as subject.
Well, Paris seems to be on the move after a two-month nap and art lovers are hoping their city will be shining again on the art scene. Meanwhile some artists are organising an Internet event called «FIAC OFF» in the woods of Meudon on September 19th with the hope of attracting 4,000 visitors.
French collectors, who have not been very active on the art market lately, have now no excuse to remain sleepy.
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The 1999 edition of the Paris International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) opened on September 14th 1999 in a new exhibition hall much more suited to this major event. 
