It’s a landmark anniversary for Art Basel Paris. Now in its fifth year, the fair has evolved, growing to fill the refurbished Grand Palais and branching out across the city. What started as a standalone art fair – albeit an extremely high-profile one as part of Art Basel’s industry-leading stable – has now become Paris Art Week, encompassing events, collaborations and public art initiatives throughout 19-25 October 2026.
'Art Basel Paris has evolved into a major fixture on the international art calendar, while becoming increasingly rooted in the cultural fabric of the city,' says director Karim Crippa, who took on the role in November 2025. 'As I take on the directorship, my ambition is to build on this strong foundation while continuing to foster discovery and new perspectives.'
Paris Art Week is known for its high-level fashion-and-art crossover projects. This time, its annual public collaboration with Miu Miu is Geste de Consolation, by artist Alice Diop, with work by Zadie Smith, Zora Neale Hurston, Audre Lorde and Marie Ndiaye. It will be installed at the Palais d’Ièna.
Also part of the public programme, a monumental work by Japanese artist Keita Miyazaki will be installed on Avenue Winston-Churchill alongside work by Carmen Herrera, Manfred Pernice, Niki de Saint Phalle and Yinka Shonibare.
Maison Guerlain is presenting its annual exhibition at its stunning location on the Champs-Élysées. ‘L’Heure des possibles’ will feature artists Christian Boltanski, Ann Veronica Janssens, Laure Prouvost, Xie Lei, Ugo Rondinone and James Turrell.
Artist Cecile B Evans is collaborating with conceptual fragrance brand The Commentary to bring us ‘The Reckoner’ at Dover Street Market, and Reiffers Initiatives is presenting another year of their now storied collaborative exhibitions between a younger and older artist, this year featuring Thomas Houseago and Théo Mercier.
Multidisciplinary creative, artist and Ryan Murphy muse Jordan Roth is staging an exhibition of performative sculpture and functional design, ‘To Think of the Tranquil Life of Things’, which will no doubt pique curiosity in both Parisians and the international art crowd.
Inside the fair you can expect presentations from galleries hailing from 41 countries, with ‘blue chip’ galleries bringing stars of art history and the present day. Galleries in the Parcours section on the fair’s balcony bring emerging work, balancing out the biggest names with what is to come. The fair’s talk programme will bring together some of the great minds of the art world including Hans Ulrich Obrist and Simon Fattal, Jeffrey Deitch and Pauline Pavec, Alexandre de Betak and Massimiliano Gioni and Ibrahim Mahama and Zanele Muholi. Those attending the fair at the weekend will be treated to an intervention by Emily in Paris star Sylvie Grateau, who will present a directive along which participating galleries will rehang their booths with new artworks.
'What makes it so distinctive is the dialogue between Paris’ extraordinary heritage and its contemporary energy, bringing together art, fashion, and a vibrant, diverse, youthful, experimental, and creative scene,' adds Crippa.
Paris’ institutions always present a plethora of world-class exhibitions. Ghanaian art star Mahama is in town for his much-anticipated survey at Fondation Cartier, which is one of the must-sees of the week along with Kerry James Marshall’s ‘The Histories’ at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. The trendsetting Lafayette Anticipations has a contemporary focus and is showing exhibitions by Yu Nishimura, Hélène Fauquet and Mungo Thomson. Palais de Tokyo is hosting a group exhibition that includes Valérie John, Ali Cherri, Sonia Gomes and Céleste Richard-Zimmermann. The institution has been on a roll lately so expectations around this show will be high.
Those who love the Impressionists should pop into the Mary Cassatt at the Musée d’Orsay and photography fans should pop into Stan Douglas’ show at the Jeu de Paume, and MEP (Maison Européenne de la Photographie) for ‘Penn & Fashion’, a tribute to legend Irving Penn.
Commercial galleries don’t shut down while the fair is active, putting on shows to complement their offerings at the fair. Heading to your favourite space is highly advised. Hauser & Wirth is presenting a show on the kinetic sculptor Alexander Calder, celebrating his historic return to Paris; Mendes Wood DM Paris is presenting painting and drawing by Afro-Brazilian artist Rosana Paulino; Mariane Ibrahim is showing work by Amoako Boafo and Thaddaeus Ropac is treating us to an exhibition of work by the great painter Jordan Casteel. Gagosian is showing ‘Lee Krasner: Works from the 1960s’, which sounds pretty unmissable – especially in light of the critically acclaimed ‘Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous’ currently on at New York’s Met Museum.
Around town you can head to fairs Asia Now for work from across the whole of the Asian continent, and Paris International which is building a great reputation for presenting the cutting edge. Also running is the new event Reference Festival, founded by Mumi Haiati and bringing together creatives and artists from all disciplines including musician Eartheater, toast of the Venice Biennale Florentina Holzinger, Klaus Biesenbach and Hans Ulrich Obrist.
Five years in and the balance between London and Paris in the autumn art season is still finding its identity, but this range of stunning shows across the board tells a story of a landmark year for Paris. Time will tell…
Art Basel Paris from 23-25 October 2026