Art Basel Paris to Close on Friday to Avoid Planned Protests

Art Basel Paris has confirmed it will close at 7pm on Friday 23 October, cancelling its two remaining public days as Paris braces for further protests.

In an email to attendees, director Karim Crippa and the fair’s organisers said the decision had been made “in light of potential demonstrations across Paris this weekend” and “in the interest of safeguarding our visitors, exhibitors, partners, staff, and artworks”. The fair will open as scheduled on Friday and remain closed on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October.

For gallerists, the closure is a serious blow: they have paid for their booths and brought work to Paris expecting a full weekend of sales, but will now have 48 fewer hours to meet collectors. Smaller galleries, with less room to absorb the cost of a shortened fair, may feel the loss most sharply.

In a response to a request for comment regarding whether partial refunds will be considered, a spokesperson for the fair told The Art Journal: "These are extraordinary circumstances, and our immediate priority is ensuring the safety of our visitors, teams, and exhibitors, protecting the artworks, and delivering a secure and orderly move-out. It is too early to comment on any financial or contractual implications. We remain in direct contact with our galleries and will share further information with them in due course." 

The announcement ends days of rumours that the fair might close early. The Art Newspaper France reported that works from the public programme would be removed in anticipation of the mobilisation and that the fair was awaiting guidance from the police on how to keep the Grand Palais open and what security measures to take.

French Instagram account Documentations, known in the country’s contemporary art scene for its posts on censorship and working conditions, had called for protests at the Grand Palais on Saturday.

“While a social movement has been joining for several weeks to denounce the lack of funding for education, culture, and health, multimillionaires are gathering at the Art Basel fair to deduct millions that could be used for public services,” the post said. The claim stems from the account’s assertion that “contemporary art is used by the wealthiest to reduce their taxes”, which French media have criticised as containing falsehoods.

Earlier, reporter Julie Brender Davich posted a statement from Art Basel in response to the rumours: “At this stage we have nothing to share. We remain in close contact with the Paris Police Prefecture and all relevant authorities and will communicate any decision as soon as possible.” The Art Journal had also contacted the fair for comment.

Before the decision was announced, there were no signs of unrest outside the Grand Palais. Two security guards I asked about a potential early closure offered me the fair’s weekend opening and closing times and said they were unaware of any changes.

Inside, however, conversations among guests suggested uncertainty about whether the fair would go ahead as planned. A cultural worker from the United States told me he believed the organisers had already come to a decision, guessing the fair would close early with only one public day. A curator from London said she had heard nothing about a closure but that “if [the organisers] were smart, they should”.

At Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries, the talk of this year’s fair for its presentation of the most expensive work on view, a 1917 Amedeo Modigliani nude priced at upwards of $100 million, I overheard a gallerist telling staff he wanted to move work out of the fair that night, amid rumours it would shut early on Friday.

A young gallerist from London said he had heard no news and hoped the fair would not close early, but that he “wouldn’t be surprised”.

“All we can do is wait,” he said.

Before I left, a waiter at a café asked where I was visiting from and when I planned to leave Paris.

“London,” I said. “I’m going home on Saturday.”

“You will go to Gare du Nord?” he asked. I nodded. “You must be careful. It will be dangerous.”