There is no doubt that there has to be a major art and antiques fair in Paris.

Until a few years ago, the “Biennale des Antiquaires” held this position.

From 2014 onwards, it was weakened by trench warfare between traders and a counterfeiting scandal.

Renamed first to “Biennale Paris” then “La Biennale”, although it takes place annually, the decline continued.

Then came the pandemic.

In the shadow of the divided fair, eight Parisian art dealers founded another fair in 2017. You are one of the operators of the “Salon du Dessin”, which is held in spring. Her “Fine Arts Paris” wanted to see itself as an autumnal counterpart: with a focus on painting and sculpture from the old masters to the modern age. In the first year there were 36 participants. In 2019, the founding group, with Louis de Bayser as president, let the LVMH-owned magazine "Connaissance des Arts" gain 49 percent of the trade fair capital - an ambitious sign.

The fact that the Biennale and Fine Arts are taking place in quick succession is like a close fight with a sword drawn.

While the Biennale will be held in the Grand Palais Éphémère from November 26th to December 5th, Fine Arts closed its doors in the exhibition halls of the Carrousel du Louvre on Thursday after six days of the fair.

Jacques Garcia was chosen to breathe charm into the less prestigious place with a landscape of ruins in the entrance.

The interior designer had already designed the scenography for the Biennale des Antiquaires.

Fair of connoisseurs

55 art dealers competed for the fifth edition of Fine Arts, twelve from abroad, none from Germany. The focus was again on painting and sculpture with galleries such as De Jonckheere (Geneva), Charles Beddington (London), Xavier Eckhout (Paris) or Brame & Lorenceau (Paris). Sarti (Paris) and Florence de Voldère (Paris) are among the four dealers who also take part in the Biennale. At the stand of Robilant + Voena (Paris, London, New York, Milan), which combines the old masters with abstract works of Italian post-war modernism, Fine Arts is seen as a trade fair for connoisseurs that the gallery would like to focus on in the future. The Parisian Galerie Steinitz with high-quality antique furniture and works of art switched to Fine Arts in 2018.The opening up to a comprehensive art fair is being promoted with dealers for non-European art such as Tanakaya (Paris), Mestdagh (Brussels) or Christian Deydier (Paris).

Deydier, former president of the Biennale des Antiquaires, had tried in vain to found a rival fair;

now he joined Fine Arts.

Three Joalliers, including jewelry designer Walid Akkad, are there because Fine Arts no longer wants to see itself as a niche fair.

The number of visitors does not yet come close to the Brafa in Brussels or even Tefaf in Maastricht.

Even if the number of dealers and thus the disciplines leaves a lot to be desired, the quality in the exhibition booths, which was rewarded with a consistently successful business, sets an example for the future.