Art Basel Paris, Cartier Foundation, and Asia Now!

AFL’s October Paris programming opened with a preview opening of the Louvre’s blockbuster exhibition Zurbarán 1598–1664, celebrating one of the greatest Spanish painters of the 17th century.  American Friends of the Louvre’s International Council is proud to serve as a lead supporter of this unique exhibition.

Mid-month, to kick-off Art Basel Paris week, members enjoyed preview access to the Asia NOW Paris Collectors’ Brunch at the historic Monnaie de Paris, located directly across the Seine from the Louvre. In this edition, Asia NOW continued to explore the blind spots of traditional fairs, challenging established vantage points and amplifying quieter voices within the international arts landscape. AFL members enjoyed an informal Pan-Asian-inspired brunch, followed by a self-guided visit of the fair before its opening to the public.

Under both overcast and beautiful sunny skies, AFL’s patrons of the Louvre’s Adopt a Bench! campaign relished in a guided tour of the Tuileries with the gardens’ curator Emmanuelle Héran, before visiting their much-awaited restored bench and personalized plaque.

Later in the week,  AFL members and guests were welcomed to the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, for a preview visit of The Harvest Season, an unprecedented exhibition in France by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama, alongside nine associate artists and collectives: Dorothy Akpene Amenuke, Gideon Appah, James Barnor, Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATPC), Courage Dzidula Kpodo, Zohra Opoku, Postbox Ghana, Tjaša Rener, and Feda Wardak. With a warm welcome by Leanne Sacramone, Senior Curator at the Fondation, and lead exhibition curator Jeanne Barral, AFL members discovered arresting site-specific works and new versions of Mahama’s iconic installations.