Art Basel Paris Opens at the Grand Palais with 211 Galleries and a €100 Million Modigliani

Art Basel Paris 2026 opened its Preview Days on October 21–22 at the Grand Palais in Paris, with the public vernissage on October 22. This is the fifth edition of the fair and the first under new director Karim Crippa. A total of 211 exhibitors from 41 countries and territories participated, including nearly 30 first-time galleries and more than 60 with permanent spaces in France. Among the headline works is a 1917 Amedeo Modigliani portrait presented by New York gallery Pace DiDonna Schrader, valued at over €100 million — among the most expensive works offered at any fair in 2026. Security at the event was visibly reinforced with anti-ram barriers following national protests in France. The Public Programme returned for a fifth year in partnership with leading Parisian institutions, with Miu Miu as official partner; satellite events included Alice Diop's first major exhibition at the Palais d'Iéna and a retrospective on collector Gustave Fayet at Fondation Louis Vuitton. The fair runs publicly from October 23 to 25, with the Grand Palais's iconic vaulted glass roof serving as backdrop for hundreds of collectors and dealers from across the globe.