Heading into autumn 2025: Paris's oldest October fair changes its scenery and rolls out the red carpet for enthusiasts and seasoned collectors alike. Ready for an immersion among 20th-century masterpieces and creations hot off the press?
Heading into autumn 2025: Paris's oldest October fair changes its scenery and rolls out the red carpet for enthusiasts and seasoned collectors alike. Ready for an immersion among 20th-century masterpieces and creations hot off the press?
Craving art, fresh air, and escape? From October 23 to 26, 2025, Moderne Art Fair will set up in the temporary pavilions at Place de la Concorde. Having long animated the Avenue des Champs-Élysées (under the name Art Élysées), the october fair's elder reinvents itself without denying its DNA: making modern and contemporary art accessible while maintaining museum-quality standards. This shift to one of the capital's most emblematic squares promises enhanced prestige, at the heart of the golden triangle formed by the Louvre, the Grand Palais, and the Musée d'Orsay.
Goodbye to the maze, welcome to the doubling of the central aisle! The scenographer architect's teams have drawn up a crystal-clear plan: two large, bright main arteries that evenly distribute the 50 galleries expected. The result: fewer bottlenecks, more contemplative breaks, and spectacular views of the booths. The pavilions, which are modular, let in natural light – a detail that makes all the difference when admiring textures, pigments, and volumes. A little extra: public Wi-Fi and "selfie spots" marked on the ground to boost your stories (digital communication matters!).
From Paris to New York, from Brussels to Seoul, established galleries stand alongside emerging venues. Modern painting, raw sculpture, vintage design, lyrical abstraction, street art or narrative figuration: the visitor navigates through more than 3,000 works ranging from €5,000 to over a million. According to the latest Art Basel & UBS report, France now accounts for 7% of global sales - and Paris is gradually gaining market share against London. This vitality is reflected in the programming: six thematic exhibitions punctuate the journey, offering museum-like interludes amidst pure commerce.
True to its tradition, Moderne Art Fair will honor the giants of the 20th century – whispers of Miro, Soulages, Hartung, or Lalanne are already heard – while giving significant space to living artists. This "masters & young shoots" juxtaposition allows for a fertile dialogue: a collector coming for a historic painting might leave with a freshly varnished canvas or a unique piece of design. Smart investing: according to Artprice, the segment of artists born after 1980 has increased by 28% in value over the last two years.Indulge yourself: the fair boasts a human scale, far from the XXL behemoths – one can move around, chat, and negotiate.
By 2025, the fair weaves a unique photographic journey. The Art Center La Chapelle de Clairefontaine orchestrates "Portraits and Landscapes: Figures of Silence", a subtle dialogue between majestic views and intimate faces. Silver prints are displayed alongside large-format pigment prints. Between stands, visitors pause, breathe, and question their own perception: what does an abandoned horizon tell us? What secrets are held by a silent expression? A beautiful nod to the slow art attitude that is gaining popularity in museums.
Under the guidance of Commissioner Lumir Ardant-Leverd, the monographic exhibition "Ink and Skin" reveals a rare collection of Albedos paper paintings and a glass sculpture, marking the artist's first foray into three dimensions. A collaborator on films such as "Séraphine" or "Bonnard, Pierre and Marthe," Édith Baudrand explores feminine interiority, traces, and scars. Her dark inks crack, allowing milky lights to seep through; the glass, fragile and sharp, reflects our own vulnerability. Between figuration and abstraction, an almost tactile experience.
Born in 1969, the Franco-Italian photographer presents a visual diptych: "American Solitudes" and "Italian Contemplations". Ten years of road-tripping across the United States condensed into poignant snapshots – timeless motels, roads straight as arrow shots, gazes lost in the dust. In contrast, the monumental cemeteries of Genoa or Milan unfold with statues of angels, cracked marbles, and dark cypresses. Two series, one shared melancholy. A guaranteed favorite for collectors of numbered prints (limited edition of 8 copies).
Former Sergeant Major Victor Ferreira photographs the tattoos of the Foreign Legion without staging, in the privacy of the barracks. At first glance, it seems far from the hushed galleries... and yet! These marked bodies tell stories of loyalty, solitude, fraternity. The project, supported by lawyer and writer Vincent Courcelle-Labrousse, will lead to a public lecture and a charity sale for the benefit of Solidarité Légionnaire. A beautiful way to remember that art can also heal invisible wounds.
According to the ClareMcAndrew firm, October accounts for nearly 22% of annual sales in Europe, thanks to the London Frieze, the Venice Biennale (when it coincides in the same year), and on the French side, Paris+. By taking place in the same week, Moderne Art Fair capitalizes on the traffic of professionals already present in the capital. It is also the oldest art fair of this key week, a sign of loyalty for collectors. Networking, talks, private dinners: the event resembles a mini-summit where sales are sealed... and sometimes artists' careers.
Dates: From Thursday, October 23 to Sunday, October 26, 2025.
Location: Temporary Pavilions – Place de la Concorde, Paris 8th (Metro Concorde, lines 1-8-12).
Hours: 11am-8pm (open until 10pm on Friday).
Ticketing: 25€ full price, 15€ reduced. Free for under 16s.
Tip: Keep your ticket – it grants access to free flash guided tours every two hours.
Nota Bene: The pavilions are fully accessible to people with reduced mobility and have a secure cloakroom.
So, shall we save the dates? Paris has never seemed so inspiring.
Please verify information on the official website.
Author Audrey on 04 September 2023
Art and Culture : Museums
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