The famous International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) was held in Paris from October 17 to 20, 2019. Artalistic brings you this year’s highlights. Both the organizers and visitors enjoyed this inspiring, energy-filled event.



FIAC Paris 2019: One of France’s most renowned contemporary art fairs

This contemporary art fair was a great way for people who love art to get closer to it, find inspiration and build relationships. The 2019 FIAC in Paris was a huge success! The excitement and energy that were present this year will be hard to match. Now lets get a quick peek at some of this year’s trends.

A great success

On the opening day, a crowd was already lined up in the streets surrounding the Grand Palais; filled with excitement and ready to explore the fair for innovate and inspiring new artwork. This year’s exhibitors agreed that there was a greater number and variety of international visitor’s than usual. The number of collectors from Asian countries impressed Sandrine Djerouet, the director of Jocelyn Wolff. 

The first set of sales data released confirmed what the representatives of major galleries had already reported – there was an increase in sales and the number of connections made with galleries and artists. The president of this contemporary art fair, Jennifer Flay, confirmed that both the fair and Paris are increasing their popularity within the art world. It is true that the art market is still dominated by New York, London and Hong Kong, but Paris seems to be gradually catching up to them.

It should also be noted that the FIAC in Paris is the third most popular international contemporary art fair, following closely behind Art Basel, which takes place in Switzerland, Miami and Hong Kong as well as Frieze in London.

A leading role

The 2019 FIAC in Paris further solidified its reputation as one of the leading French contemporary art fairs and will continue to contribute to the rebirth of the Parisian art scene. Many French galleries attended FIAC and the other events associated with the fair as a way to meet thousands of important buyers and individuals interested in art.

FIAC in Paris: 2019 locations open to the general public

In addition to the central exhibition center located in the Grand Palais, FIAC had other locations peppered throughout some of Paris’ most famous sightseeing locations: the Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, Place Vendôme, Musée Delacroix, Petit Palais and Winston Churchill Avenue. This diverse array of locations and exhibitions was highly appreciated by this year’s visitors.

In the spirit of the times

The 2019 FIAC in Paris was original and covered current topics such as the environment and immigration. For example Sufferhead by the Nigerian artist Emeka Ogboh, Sun Boat by the Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr, Garden by Austrian artist Lois Weinberger and the series AIDS created by the General Idea collective from Canada were representative of the many works displayed that dealt with timely world concerns.

Paris’ FIAC supports several NGOs

FIAC also showed support for NGOs such as the Brain and Spinal Cord Institute (Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière - ICM), Aider les Autres, AIDES and the association EDVO.



2019’s International Contemporary Art Fair in numbers

Increased attendance

The complete overview of the 2019 FIAC has not yet been published but some preliminary information has been released.

Approximately 74,580 visitors were registered in five days at the Grand Palais, representing a 2.87% increase in attendance compared to last year. This increase proves Paris’ increase in popularity as one of the world’s major art hubs.

Visitors from around the world

As usual the turnout was international with individuals attending from several key regions: Europe, North America and East Asia. The organization also noted visitors from a wide range of countries: Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Colombia, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. The international dimension of Paris’ FIAC has never been so tangible.

A majority of exhibitors were foreign artists

FIAC's growing reputation as an international contemporary art fair was also reflected in the number of foreign exhibitors present - 199 galleries from 28 countries.

Approximately forty French galleries were present, which is equivalent to 35% of the total number of exhibitors. Some individuals found this low number to be a negative reflection on the fair, while others saw it as a positive, global expansion of this famous Parisian event.



The International Fair of Contemporary Art will celebrate its 47th anniversary next year from October 22 to 25, 2020 at the Grand Palais. If this recap is any indicator, next year’s event will be even richer and attended by an increasingly diverse audience. Artalistic doesn’t just provide you with up-to-date bi-monthly news about the art world, it also offers an unparalleled selection of paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs in a range of prices and provides artists from around the world with an expertly curated digital environment in which to showcase and sell their work.