The Art Basel Paris contemporary art fair will remain closed Saturday and Sunday due to protests

Many anticipated it. The organizers chose to take the lead and not wait for a possible decision from the prefecture. The Parisian demonstrations of October 24 forced Art Basel Paris to keep the doors closed on Saturday and Sunday at the Grand Palais. In a press release relayed Thursday afternoon, the organization announced that “taking into account the events planned this weekend in Paris, and in order to ensure the safety of our visitors, exhibitors, partners, collaborators and works of art, the edition will close on Friday October 23 at 7 p.m.”.

The organizers explain that they “deeply regret” not being able to welcome the public until Sunday evening. “This decision was not taken lightly, and the safety of everyone involved in the show remains our top priority,” they add.

The risk of cancellation had loomed over the event since the start of the week. After the riots of October 17, gallery owners and major art buyers from the United States, Korea and China feared that scenes of violence and looting would recur. As of last weekend, the management of the Art Basel Paris fair responded to them, by sending an email, that the security measures - anti-ram barriers, additional staff - were pushed to the maximum. She refused at all costs to believe that the Grand Palais would remain closed on Saturday due to the demonstrations.

But the tension was palpable. An Instagram account, “Documentations-art”, threatened at the start of the week to “take back the palace” and “fight the hegemonic and conservative discourse that leads the art world today”. The post attracted thousands of likes and comments. The fear of an escalation at the Grand Palais is all the greater as the neighborhood was particularly targeted by previous Yellow Vest mobilizations. Openings at the Jeu de Paume, the Beaux-Arts and the Champs-Élysées have been canceled or postponed as a precaution.

In this burning context, some had anticipated potential attacks, such as the Mennour gallery which planned to remove the two sculptures of Alicja Kwade and Yinka Shonibare on Friday on the avenue cut off from traffic between the Grand and the Petit Palais.