Heeyoung’s Critique

The Paris Art Fair cannot be critiqued without first evaluating the venue in which it is held because it is such an influential part of the experience. The wide open internal space of the Grand Palais seemed versatile enough to accommodate many different kinds of exhibitions or events. Its most striking feature was the large glass ceiling. Despite the age of the building, the windows contributed a very clean and modern feel that was very fitting to house the contemporary art within. The abundance of natural light in particular helped to create an openness that facilitated easy meandering between different separate exhibitions. At the same time, the elaborate curves and ornamentation of the art nouveau style of the Grand Palais lent a luxurious, refined feel to the building that reminded visitors of its long and varied cultural history.  The juxtaposition of these two elements created a space which both encapsulated the dignified history of Paris as an art center and the modernity and continuing innovation of contemporary art. And although the fair was indeed formatted in stereotypical “white cubes”, the openness of the Grand Palais and the absence of any closed walls within the separate exhibitions themselves made the space cohesive, while the simple white backgrounds kept the focus on the pieces rather than allowing the magnificence of the grand palais to detract attention.

As for the exhibitions themselves, many of this year’s pieces (and I would imagine for most years’ pieces as well) featured heavy political or social themes. One notable piece unpacked the colonial and racial unconscious of the popular French children’s comic The Adventures of Tintin, particularly its second volume Tintin in the Congo. The painting was done in an exaggerated style reminiscent of the original comic’s drawings, with simple shapes and bright, bold paint contrasting disarmingly with satirical imagery of the crucifixion of Christ, with a black man hung on the cross this time. This piece was clearly a commentary on Western fetishization of African culture and the black community, as well as the entertainment and commercial advancement of white society at the expense of black culture. In a different self-portrait photograph, artist Izumi Miyazaki poses in front of a mirror, a tape measure carefully crossing her face. The dreamy pastel pink of the tape measure and the airy femininity of her baby blue coat and white dress contrast sharply with her eerily vacant expression as she examines her reflection. The end of the tape measure floats next to her head, adding a subtle surrealism to the entire portrait. This is perhaps a social commentary on the unattainable standards of beauty set for women – particularly East Asian women in context of plastic-surgery heavy East Asian cultures – denoting a dissatisfaction with the self and a preoccupation with arbitrary rules of beauty such as the symmetry and measurements of the face. Some of the pieces at the Art Fair were far more straightforward with their sociopolitical implications, however. One example is a piece composed of 12 portraits of ethnically ambiguous women in various states of adornment, from no jewelry at all to lavish golden crowns. The black backgrounds and their darkly painted hair place focus on the expressions of quiet defiance upon their faces. They stare directly into the viewer’s eyes with no shame or timidity. Jewelry or not, they project a queenly radiance, expressing empowerment in feminine strength. Of course, a number of pieces at the art fair were merely abstract or aesthetic, but visually and intellectually interesting nonetheless.

The Paris Art Fair can be overwhelming in its enormity of sheer quantity. However, the structure of the Grand Palais and the careful curation of the fair allowed for a very rich and thought-provoking experience. A diverse taste of contemporary art in Paris was offered, and in my opinion this variety is what made the fair such a valuable experience.

 

Emma’s Critique

For the past several years, each annual Art Fair has focused on a different culture, featuring art from different regions of the world.  These have included Russia, China, Southeast Asia, and Korea.  Ever since the introduction of this new format, the Art Fair has brought in many international artists, even though about 50% of the featured artists are still French.  One thing that was surprising to me, knowing this information, was how most of the galleries at the Art Fair were by French or European artists, even though this year, the focus was supposed to be on African artists.  If I hadn’t known going in that that was supposed to be the theme, I don’t think I would have guessed it from just looking around the galleries.  However, this is the only real critique I have about the overall format and structure of the Art Fair.

All in all, my experience at the Art Fair was very pleasant.  I really liked the way the fair was structured in little booths that were half-separated from the main walkways.  It wasn’t very crowded at all the day we went, but I imagine that if it had been, this would have helped a bit.  I even liked that it was easy to get lost in the maze of galleries.  I could wander around without feeling like I had to plan where I was going next.  It made me more absorbed in experiencing all the different art I saw there.  For someone like me, who enjoys going to museums and seeing a wide range of artwork, it was a perfect setting.  However, for the type of person who likes to go to a gallery and focus intently on a single piece of art, an environment like this would probably be overwhelming.

One thing I noticed while I was walking through the Art Fair was how similar themes were repeated even among different artists.  There was of course the theme of the body, which was a stated objective of the 2017 Art Fair.  I noticed this in many galleries, particularly in the photography on display.  However, there were other more accidental themes that I saw repeated around the galleries.  Several artists definitely had an interest in pairing symbols of innocence and childhood with gruesome images.  There was one exhibit that depicted Mickey Mouse being crucified by other Disney characters, and another in which concrete teddy bear statues had kitchen knives stuck into their backs.  I also noticed that two different exhibits, by different artists, featured almost exactly the same concept for a piece of art: a banana, half peeled to reveal a nude blonde woman.  One of these pieces was a painting, while the other was a sculpture, but I thought it was interesting that the work of two different artists was so similar.  It made me wonder whether there had been intentional collaboration or discussion between the artists, or if the ideas had simply come to them individually.