Two fairs that have carved out distinct identities and audiences in Paris’s increasingly crowded fair ecosystem opened on October 21 alongside Paris Internationale: Asia NOW and Design Miami.Paris. The former, now in its 10th edition, has established itself as the leading—and truly the only—platform dedicated to showcasing Asian contemporary art abroad by filling a niche no one addressed before. Since 2015, founders Alexandra and Claude Fain have mounted the fair in the spectacular the Monnaie de Paris. Conceived in response to the longstanding underrepresentation of Asian art in Europe’s institutional and commercial scenes, Asia NOW positioned itself from the outset as both market and cultural platform—“an art fair with a curatorial soul.” Through thoughtful collaborations with curators, institutions and foundations, it has maintained that balance, with a curated selection and an expansive performance program that elevates the fairgoing experience beyond the transactional.
