From 24 to 26 October 2025, Art Basel Paris occupied the Grand Palais, bringing together 206 galleries from 41 countries. Across the fair, one could see a clear thematic movement toward material presence. Clay, textiles, metal, and glass appeared everywhere, not as aesthetic affectations but as acts of commitment. Visitors encountered works by Simone Leigh, whose monumental ceramic figures combine sculptural precision with historical reflection, and Billie Zangewa, who continues to stitch scenes of daily life on raw silk with an intimacy that resists mass production. In the central hall, Haegue Yang’s geometric assemblages of woven cords and metal created a bridge between industry and ritual. Around them, galleries presented new work by El Anatsui, Sonia Gomes, and Danh Vō, all showing how physical process can carry cultural narrative.
Where the Market is Moving
The art market that gathered in Paris reflected a global recalibration. After a period of inflated spectacle and speculative buying, collectors now look for evidence of labour, authenticity, and skill. Reports indicate that global art sales fell by about twelve percent in 2024, but the tone of the fair was not anxious. It was selective. Conversations focused on provenance, production, and the kind of detail that cannot be replicated by software. Galleries adjusted their presentations accordingly. Hauser and Wirth showed historical pieces by Gerhard Richter alongside new work by artists using ceramics and hand painting, while Mendes Wood DM offered sculptures that blend craft with conceptual thought. In the emerging sector, younger artists explored weaving, dyeing, and modular construction, suggesting that manual practice has become a language of its own.
Beyond the fair itself, Art Basel Paris unfolded across the city, with installations at the Palais Royal, Petit Palais, and along Avenue Winston Churchill. At the Palais d’Iéna, Helen Marten’s blend of sculpture, film, and choreography reflected on the body as both instrument and archive. This citywide presence signalled a shift toward a more integrated ecosystem, where craft, fashion, and visual art move within the same conversation. COY Eyewear was there to observe and understand, tracing how artists turn material into meaning and how those same gestures echo in the shaping of a frame; proof that art and craft remain different forms of the same language.
“Art Basel Paris revealed a quiet tension between human craft and algorithmic creation, as AI perfects imitation, the handmade reclaims its place as the authentic expression of thought.”
