Oct 20 2017

Highlights from FIAC 2017

by Ned Carter Miles

TAKASHI MURAKAMI’s garish Flame of Desire – Gold (2013–15) in fiberglass and gold leaf welcomes visitors to the booth of Galerie Perrotin (Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo) at the fair’s main entrance. All photos by Ned Carter Miles for ArtAsiaPacific.

From October 19 to 22, 193 modern and contemporary galleries from 29 countries came together beneath the steel and glass barrel-vaulted ceiling of the Grand Palais in Paris for the 44th edition of FIAC. The first day of the fair was expectedly brimming with visitors, and had something of the air of a crowded marketplace where collectors might be overheard arguing over the value of a sculpture based on the longevity of the Pepto-Bismol from which it was made.

Although European artists seemed to predominate, contemporary Asian art was nonetheless well represented at this year’s fair, with Japanese artists and galleries enjoying a particularly strong presence. In addition to impressive showings from Tokyo’s Tomio Koyama and SCAI The Bathhouse galleries, the digital artwork Dreaming 2074: A Utopia Created by French Luxury saw contributions by three young Japanese artists—Aya Kawato, Kanako Kitabayashi and Sayaka Shimada—chosen from over 50, presented in its own section of the fair in an exploration of luxury, literature and art between France and Japan.

Some pieces were, perhaps, too well represented, with several stands displaying similar iterations of Anish Kapoor’s “Mirror” sculptures, but there was plenty to discover besides, and, as a refreshing change for such a large commercial event, some of it was mounted with genuine curatorial creativity.

DANH VŌ’s Gustav’s Wing (2013) had anatomical fragments of papier-mâché scattered in the corner of Marian Goodman gallery’s (Paris, New York, London) stand.

At Lisson gallery’s (London, New York) booth, visitors were reflected in Mirror (Mipa Blue to Black) (2017), one of several of ANISH KAPOOR’s “Mirror” works to be found at FIAC.

Cast in lead and mounted on a bed of similarly textured concrete, the positioning of TOSHIKATSU ENDO’s Void – Sunken Ship (2010) showed SCAI The Bathhouse (Tokyo) to be among FIAC’s more creative galleries.

RIEKO OTAKE’s wooden sculpture Double Children (2017) at the Tomio Koyama (Tokyo) stand sat somewhere between being charming and nightmarish.

On the outside of Tomio Koyama’s (Tokyo) stand, vibrant C-types by MIKA NINAGAWA stand in contrast to the ironwork of the Grand Palais.

CHIHARU SHIOTA’s bronze In the Hand (2017) makes an offering of metal thread outside the Templon gallery (Paris, Brussels) stand.

In another example of thoughtful curation from Annely Judo Fine Art (London), KAZUO SHIRAGA’s Koheki (1990) hangs in contrast with ANTHONY CARO’s Writing Piece ‘Choppy’ (1990–92).

The material power of MONA HATOUM’s steel and blown glass sculpture Crate II (2016) at the White Cube gallery (London, Hong Kong) stand belied its quotidian form.

Self-Portrait 2 (2014) was a simple but striking study in bronze by CODY CHOI at the PKM gallery (Seoul) stand.

KIM TSCHANG-YEUL’s Water Drops (2003), brought by Almine Rech (Paris, Brussels, London, New York) uses sand and oil paint to strike a curious balance between painting and sculpture.

Ned Carter Miles is the London desk editor of ArtAsiaPacific.

FIAC takes place from October 19 to 22, 2017, at the Grand Palais, Paris.

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