Art Basel Paris returns to the Grand Palais this October for its fifth edition, bringing 211 galleries from 41 territories together under the building’s soaring vaulted roof.
With 183 galleries in the main Galeries sector, 16 solo presentations in Emergence and 12 historically focused projects in Premise, there is plenty to navigate. These are six highlights worth prioritising:
Sprüth Magers
Sprüth Magers brings together a cross-generational selection spanning some of the most recognisable names in contemporary art. Barbara Kruger and Jenny Holzer are particular draws, with both artists also the subjects of major exhibitions elsewhere in Paris during the fair. Kruger’s text-based work and Holzer’s confrontational language provide a welcome counterpoint to the more traditional painting and sculpture surrounding them. They are joined by John Baldessari, Sylvie Fleury, Rosemarie Trockel, Kara Walker and George Condo, making this a booth worthy of an extended perusal.
Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Forget to remember), 2024. Digital print on vinyl. Image courtesy Sprüth Magers.
Provocative
Hauser & Wirth
Hauser & Wirth returns with a presentation centred in part on Louise Bourgeois, whose work is being celebrated in a major solo exhibition at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France from 20 October. The booth also brings together Jenny Holzer, Hélène Delprat, Camille Henrot, Henry Taylor, William Kentridge and George Condo, alongside historic works by Francis Picabia, Carol Rama, Alina Szapocznikow and Eduardo Chillida. Bourgeois is the obvious starting point, but the combination makes this a particularly strong example of the fair’s tendency to place contemporary artists alongside esteemed and established figures who have shaped the language of modern art.
Louise Bourgeois, Corner Piece, 1947–1949. © 2026 The Easton Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York and ADAGP, Paris. Photo: Nicolas Brasseur.
Seminal
White Cube
All corners of White Cube are brimming with blockbuster works, including exhibits by Georg Baselitz, Alexander Calder, Helen Frankenthaler, David Hammons and Giorgio Morandi. But two pieces stand out amongst the standouts: Tracey Emin’s Waiting For A Moment of You (2025) depicts a reclining female figure in a typically exposed and emotionally charged pose, while Marguerite Humeau (one of this year’s Turner Prize nominees) contributes the deliciously titled Venus of Planina, A 37-year-old female human has ingested an olm’s brain. The booth also features Ibrahim Mahama and two gilded paintings by Georg Baselitz.
Ibrahim Mahama, Nyamuthia, 2025–26. © Ibrahim Mahama. Photo © White Cube (Theo Christelis).
Visceral
Emergence: The Next Generation
For those in search of new blood, head upwards to Emergence, the section devoted to emerging galleries and artists. Sixteen solo presentations occupy the upper walkways of the Grand Palais, with 12 galleries making their debut in the sector this year. One to look for is London artist Solomon Garçon, presented by Margate-based 243 Luz & Co. His work invokes the visual language of reality television and inverts the audience’s lens back on to the performances and social codes of the art world itself. Also worth seeking out is Lorenza Longhi’s presentation at Oskar Weiss, which incorporates a site-specific floor piece and concealed spy camera
Solomon Garçon, 888, 2026. Courtesy of the artist and 243 Luz & Co.
Experimental
UBS Salon
For the first time, UBS will open its Salon to the public during Art Basel Paris. Earthly Paradise: Nature Reimagined draws from the UBS Art Collection and considers the natural world through the work of artists including Ishita Chakrabarty, Marguerite Humeau, Hayal Pozantı, Julian Charrière, Nicolas Party, Etel Adnan, Jennifer Guidi, Raqib Shaw, Sol Calero and Andi Fischer. It offers a respite from the sheer variety of the main fair, with its grounding theme exemplified through painting, sculpture and other forms of contemporary practice.
Ishita Chakraborty, Where The Wild Things Roam XXXX, Cactus, 2026. UBS Art Collection. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich/Paris. Photo: Hafid Lhachmi.
Elemental
Oh La La!
Returning for its second edition, Oh La La! rejuvenates 35 galleries across the fair with new works that adhere to a theme set by one visionary – French actress Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu. This effectively gives you an entirely new fair to explore on the Friday and Saturday. The selected theme is Myths and Legends, with Phillipine encouraging galleries to draw upon dreams, metamorphosis, animals, rituals, personal mythology and the supernatural. Among the artists featured are Nina Childress, Ossip Zadkine, Portia Zvavahera and Philippe Mayaux Butterfly.
Marion Verboom, Les Titans, 2026. © Marion Verboom. Courtesy Galerie Lelong.
Mythical
Art Basel Paris runs 23–25 October 2026 at the Grand Palais, with Preview Days on 21–22 October.
