Claire Laycock’s Takeaways from Paris Art Week 

At Waddington’s, our team’s passion for art extends well beyond the auction house. Earlier this fall, our Appraisals & Consignments Specialist, Claire Laycock, travelled to Paris for Paris Art Week, where she immersed herself in Art Basel Paris and explored the city’s vibrant fairs, museums, and galleries. Upon her return, she shared with us a firsthand look at the ideas and energy shaping today’s international art scene.

I was looking forward to Paris Art Week, particularly to visit Art Basel Paris for the first time. Launched in 2022, the Paris edition of the fair was held this year in the historic and recently renovated Grand Palais. Rivaling London’s Frieze week, which takes place earlier in October, it has been drawing the art world to Paris for a week of art festivities.

While Art Basel brought me to Paris, there was so much more to experience. The visit perfectly illustrated the interconnected fabric of the art world – spanning fairs, museums, galleries and auction houses – each with its own perspective and energy.

Another important fair that recently launched in 2023 is Design Miami Paris, which was a highlight for me. Now in its second year at the beautiful l’Hôtel de Maisons (a private mansion / hôtel particulier), the fair created opportunities for thoughtful and engaging moments throughout the visit. Stepping into Galerie Patrick Seguin’s booth, I was already giddy. Outside in the garden, visitors could play a round of ping pong on James de Wulf’s Resonating Ping Pong Table – which produces a different tone with each bounce. I was also lucky enough to sit in on a small, conversational interview with Benjamin Paulin, son of legendary designer Pierre Paulin and founder of Paulin Paulin Paulin, both discussing and showcasing Articulated Floors, a concept exploring floor as furniture.

Other fair highlights included the Moderne Art Fair. One of Paris’ oldest fairs, it was launched in 2007 by two sisters and was originally known as ​​Art Elysées (renamed in 2021). One of the newest fairs was the inaugural Ceramic Art Fair, the first Parisian fair dedicated solely to ceramics and glass.

At Bourse de Commerce, the exhibition Minimal was fully booked – and worth the wait in line. François Pinault’s museum has been one of my favourites. Its circular courtyard creates a stunning, light-filled space to highlight exceptional artworks. Each exhibition gallery feels distinct, yet the curved hallways connect them, creating an intimacy with the artworks within a monumental space – without ever feeling overwhelming.

Minimal brought together works by 52 artists, engaging the viewer through light, sound, industrial and organic materials, a focus on weight, tension and pared back forms. Amid the busyness of my travels – the exhibition reminded me why I am obsessed with art – there is something about experiencing immersive works with strangers, and visibly witnessing in others the awe you are feeling.

What struck me the most was the integration of the senses: breathing in the scent of eucalyptus and beeswax within American artist Meg Webster’s organic installation; peering through the lens of Nancy Holt’s steel sculpture to change my visual perception; and walking through Lygia Pape’s light installation as it changed in response to visitors movement through the space.

Brazilian artist Lygia Pape’s work was part of a solo exhibition described as a prelude to Minimal – her first solo show in France. Once I made it to Art Basel I noticed how much having been immersed in her work resonated with me. After hours in the crowded booths of the fair, when I came across a small sculptural work of hers at Mendes Wood DM I was immediately brought back to that feeling. It reminded me how each art experience is interconnected – each layering upon one another.

Another major museum highlight during Paris Art Week was the Gerard Richter retrospective at Fondation Louis Vuitton. I learned that the highest-priced work sold at Art Basel’s Avant Premiere day (the new even earlier VIP day) was a Richter that sold for 23 million at Hauser & Wirth. It seemed to make perfect sense given the buzz surrounding the exhibition. And for those wanting more Richter, David Zwirner opened a Richter exhibition coinciding with the museum retrospective. It illustrates the ongoing dialogue between museums and the market – you can admire an artist’s work in institutions, but can also acquire one for yourself.

Of course, it’s not always about the size of an exhibition. I stopped by Gagosian to see Ed Ruscha: Talking Doorways. Just five artworks, one security guard, and me. I appreciated the opportunity for the brief interlude on my walk to consider Ruscha’s words, “Says I, to Myself, Says I”. Another gallery highlight was Ben Arpéa, De Mémoire at 193 Gallery. His vivid paintings quickly brought me from the rainy street into a Mediterranean world.

I also made time to attend an auction of modern and contemporary art at the French auction house Artcurial. The star lot was a set of two bronzes by Giacometti, though my personal favourite was Cock’s Comb by Alexander Calder, a maquette for the full-size sculpture at the Whitney Museum in New York – another example of how collectors can own a version of a museum-level work.

Finally, experiencing Art Basel inside the Grand Palais felt monumental. The massive space was packed and energetic on the public day. The fair continued on the upper floor, where the emerging galleries were a bit less full. I was inundated with incredible art, and couldn’t help being drawn to Claire Tabouret’s new works at Almine Rech. I first fell in love with her work at the Bourse de Commerce’s opening exhibition in 2021. This December, she will have a major show at the Grand Palais, featuring her preparatory work for the six stained glass windows she designed for Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. This follows her win of the controversial Ministry of Culture competition in December 2024, and they are currently planned to be installed at the end of 2026.

Back in Toronto, I’m reflecting on the interconnected nature of art experiences. At the Art Gallery of Ontario, the current exhibitions David Blackwood: Myth & Legend, Joyce Wieland: Heart On, and Moments in Modernism all feature artists whose works are regularly sold at Waddington’s – that I am fortunate to experience firsthand. Other exciting upcoming international highlights that echo this “museum to collection” thread include original sketches by Sir Edward John Poynter that went on to become stained glass windows for a historic maison, and of course, another Alexander Calder, a personal favourite.

If you’d like to continue connecting through art, I invite you to explore our upcoming auctions. As Waddington’s Appraisal and Consignment Specialist, I’m also happy to assist with your collection – whether you’re looking to sell, need a formal appraisal, or simply want to learn more. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Claire Laycock

416-847-6196
[email protected]