PARIS PHOTO
The Grand Palais turned into a photography frenzy for Paris Photo 2024, the 27th edition bringing in a whopping 80k peeps—23% up from last year! Lines were out the wazoo, and on the day we scoped it out, over 7k collectors, photo buffs, and VIPs from all over were there, making bank and making moves.
Navigating Paris Photo was like trying to find your way through a maze with a camera glued to your face. But props to the organizers for breaking it down into zones across the three levels of the Grand Palais. The Main sector hogged most of the ground floor with 147 high-end galleries showing off their best. The Emergence zone was all about the up-and-comers with 23 solo shows from fresh galleries on the second balcony. Front half of that level was all about the Editions—cool new art books from global publishers. Digital made a splash for the second year, chilling right behind the Main area. And the new Voices section kicked off some dope themed projects by indie curators near the VIP entrance, mixing up different vibes of recent photo work.
Main Floor Madness
The Main sector was straight-up fire, proving photography’s still a goldmine for collectors worldwide. They kicked things off with August Sander’s epic “People of the 20th Century” series—619 black-and-white shots capturing Germany between the wars, first time in Europe. Huge shoutout to Galerie Julian Sander for pulling this off.
Beyond the Sander showcase, the ground floor was a wild jungle of gallery booths, looking massive from up on the second-floor balconies. Major players like Pace Gallery were selling pieces by legends like Robert Frank and Irving Penn for up to €350k. Fraenkel Gallery had Hiroshi Sugimoto pieces hitting €500k. French galleries weren’t slacking either, with Christian Berst moving John Kayser’s work for €80k.
Emergence Vibes
The Emergence zone was lit for discovering new talent, featuring 23 international galleries hyping up early to mid-career artists. Standout was Lucile Boiron’s edgy, glossy shots from HORS-CADRE, snagging up to €24k each. Letizia Le Fur also had some killer pieces going for over €10k.
Voices Section Highlights
Voices was a mixed bag but worth the visit. “Imperfect Paradises” brought together 11 Latin American artists focusing on portraits and the human form, selling pieces for up to €40k. “Liberated Bodies” had archival gems from artists like Cai Dongdong and Joana Choumali, though it felt a bit all over the place. The standout was “Four Walls,” exploring photo art in domestic spaces from the old Eastern bloc, featuring Aurora Király’s work grabbing a spot at MoMA. Perfect timing with the world getting all intense politically, these private scenes hit different.
Book Lovers’ Paradise
The Book sector was packed with 45 publishers and over 400 artist signings. The boat on the Seine hosted Polycopies’ editions, adding a chill vibe. Big moment: Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards went to five international photographers. Tsai Ting Bang, 25, was hyped to win with his self-published “Born from the Same Root,” a sweet dual-bound book diving into his and his brother’s lives.
Digital Dreams
NFTs were still the craze. The Digital sector had just 10 galleries but pulled in a cool million euros. Turkish newcomer Alkan Avcıoğlu (Tender) sold 150 online pieces for €52k, double what he made from physical prints. His series “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace” threw some serious digital vibes, echoing legends like Wang Qingsong and Andreas Gursky. It’s wild to see digital get its own spot when photographers have been messing with digital for ages, but hey, times change.
The Grand Palais, built for the 1900 World’s Fair, felt like the ultimate playground for global photo lovers. While the World’s Fair vibes have faded, our hunger for killer images is bigger than ever. Paris Photo 2024 was the spot to see the world through one massive roof. Catch you next year!