Art Basel Paris’s fifth edition ended on a Friday night instead of a Sunday, and the bill for the missing weekend has become a fight. In a letter reported Monday (Nov. 2), the Comité Professionnel des Galeries d’Art, an industry group representing more than a quarter of the fair’s exhibitors, demanded “concrete proposals for compensating exhibitors” and accused organizers of “disrespect, even contempt,” Hyperallergic reports, citing Monopol.
The group says galleries were never consulted about the early closure. Its president, Mon Charpentier gallery co-founder Philippe Charpentier, and 14 board members signed. Karim Crippa, the fair’s new director, reportedly wrote to exhibitors the next day promising a “concrete update in the coming days.”
Organizers had told exhibitors on Oct. 22 that the fair would close at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, instead of Sunday, Oct. 25, “in light of potential demonstrations across Paris this weekend and in the interest of safeguarding our visitors,” per Hyperallergic. Protests over the cost of living and school conditions had turned violent the weekend before, and The Art Newspaper reported at least 2,700 arrests across France, citing the BBC.
This decision has not been taken lightly, and the safety of everyone involved in the fair remains our utmost priority.
Art Basel, in an email to VIP guests co-signed by Karim Crippa, The Art Newspaper
The fair had been busy before the shutdown. Il Sole 24 Ore, citing the fair’s own figures from the Avant-Première and VIP preview, counted 200 to 300 transactions worth around €100 million, with roughly 25 works over €1 million. Hauser & Wirth sold Gerhard Richter’s 1965 Rococo Table and a 1965 Georg Baselitz for about $10 million each, and White Cube sold two Julie Mehretu paintings at $7.85 million each, as we reported.
The cost lands unevenly. Il Sole 24 Ore says the early closing penalized smaller galleries, especially upstairs, where dealers counted on the extra days. A fair spokesperson said: “It is still too early to comment on any financial or contractual implications.” Beyond booth fees, exhibitors paid thousands of euros for walls, lighting and electrical hookups, per Finestre sull’Arte, which cites Artnet.
Artnet reported that dozens of galleries discussed a joint request for discounts on future fairs, but the push stalled over whether compensation should be a partial refund, reduced costs or something else. The fair’s parent, MCH, reported in September that first-half net profit rose from 4.4 million to 18.4 million Swiss francs, driven mainly by its fairs division.
Dismantling began Friday at 7 p.m. Jeffrey Deitch said movers finished at his shared booth by 1 a.m., while other galleries left works in the Grand Palais over the weekend awaiting guidance, per Finestre sull’Arte. The fair’s roughly 1,700 works stayed viewable online through Art Basel Paris Encore, Il Sole 24 Ore says. Earlier in the week, artist Alicja Kwade pulled her 14-foot public sculpture from outside the Grand Palais, citing “announced riots and people who simply want to resort to violence.”
Some exhibitors are now hoping for discounts at the next Art Basel in June, Il Sole 24 Ore reports.
- Closed
- Oct. 23, 7 p.m., two days early
- Exhibitors
- 211 galleries from 41 countries
- Reported early deals
- 200 to 300 transactions, about €100 million
- Dealers’ letter
- Comité Professionnel des Galeries d’Art
Sources
Added to the High Grailed archive on November 10, 2026.
