Story Of The Month
Return of the FIAC !


After a digital-only fair last year, followed by the planned closure of the Grand Palais building which has housed the FIAC since 2006 and the situation with the ongoing pandemic, the future was a little uncertain for this year’s physical edition of the FIAC (Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain) … We were delighted to discover that the recently built Grand Palais Ephémère in the Champs-de-Mars, next to Paris’ Eiffel Tower, would house the 47th edition of the fair, gathering together over 200 international galleries.

 

The Grand Palais Ephémère was conceived by Wilmotte & Associés, and the structure of the building is designed to be modular so that it can be reused in multiple configurations after its removal from the Champ-de-Mars in autumn 2024.

Photo: Le Grand Palais Éphémère © Collection Rmn - Grand Palais © Patrick Tourneboeuf - Tendance Floue (https://www.grandpalais.fr/en/node/51552)
The modularity and use of sustainable structural materials for the Grand Palais Ephémère make the new building environmentally focussed and in line with our own ongoing sustainable research.

 

The wood used for the structure is PEFC certified, from sustainably managed forests, and the double-skin that encloses the building has strong acoustic, thermal and ventilation properties, which helps to reduce overall energy costs. The transparent fabric visible from the outside is made of mineral and non-petroleum based polymers, generating 90% less energy in the manufacturing process than glass and it is entirely recyclable.

 

We chose some of our favourites from this year’s edition in the slideshow above!