MCH Group is delighted to announce that Art Basel has been awarded a seven-year contract to stage a new contemporary and Modern art fair at the prestigious Grand Palais in Paris, following a public competition initiated by the Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais in December last year. Launching in October 2022, this new project of international stature will build bridges between France’s cultural industries – from fashion and design to film and music – to create a flagship event that radiates throughout the city and is firmly embedded in Paris. The new fair will initially take place at the Grand Palais’s temporary venue, the Grand Palais Éphémère, located in the historic heart of Paris in the Champ-de-Mars, until the restoration of the Grand Palais is completed in 2024.
“This is exciting news not only for MCH Group, but also for the French art scene, the art market, and the economy.” says Beat Zwahlen, Group CEO. “Our Art Basel team has done a tremendous job preparing a compelling bid, and I’d like to thank the Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais for their trust in us. This is another step towards our goal to ensure the long-term success of MCH Group, and it’s gratifying to see that our efforts around “City Activation” as a key element in our strategy are beginning to bear fruit.”
To deliver this ambitious new project for Paris, MCH Group intends to establish a new French legal entity and employ a dedicated team on the ground, while Art Basel will work closely with France’s gallery community and ensure their strong representation in the fair’s Selection Committee. In addition, Art Basel intends to develop an identity and a brand specific to the Parisian fair. Further details will be communicated in the coming weeks.
First step of a new growth strategy
Andrea Zappia, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MCH Group
Despite the difficult circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, MCH Group has been successfully driving its strategy forward, and leveraging its strong brand equity for further growth”, says Beat Zwahlen. “We’ve shown before that we can successfully build events in other locations that create tremendous impact for the economy. Basel is and will remain our home base, and we are 100% committed to our existing Art Basel events in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong.”
Andrea Zappia, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MCH Group, adds: “ We are proud of the work of our Art Basel team and grateful to RMN for the opportunity to build an iconic event in Paris. This is a first step of a new growth strategy which demonstrates the commitment of our shareholders to enable the full potential of MCH brands and capabilities.”
