We wanted this edition of Paris+ par Art Basel Conversations to explore expanded frameworks and peripheral shifts within the artworld, since art invariably evolves through those working at the margins whose practices resist easy categorization. The program offers a unique perspective on our fleeting present – one that is equally alert to contemporary fluctuations and historical foundations. Adopting an artificer’s vision, this year’s Conversations look at art without denying its subterfuges, recognizing its effects and sentiments, and accepting that the pages of even the grandest narratives are held together at the margins.

Left: Jardin du Musée national Picasso-Paris. Photograph by Aliki Christoforou for Paris+ par Art Basel. Right: Portrait of Charles Teyssou and Pierre-Alexandre Mateos. Photograph by Marion Berrin for Art Basel.
Left: Jardin du Musée national Picasso-Paris. Photograph by Aliki Christoforou for Paris+ par Art Basel. Right: Portrait of Charles Teyssou and Pierre-Alexandre Mateos. Photograph by Marion Berrin for Art Basel.

Avant-gardes: past, present, and future

The Conversations continue our research into avant-garde figures who still resonate powerfully in the present. Firstly, the enduring influence of Antonin Artaud – an polymath artist who lived through both World Wars and whose work inspires a whole new generation of artists – will be invoked in a reflection on war and rising nationalism in contemporary Europe. In ‘Paris-Caribbean’, Hans Ulrich Obrist will juxtapose the practice of Martinican painter and ceramicist Victor Anicet – whose aesthetic of Caribbean modernity stretches back to his founding of Creole artists’ collective Fwomajé in 1984 – with the work of a young generation of Parisian artists, such as Gaëlle Choisne. Finally, Moroccan author and poet Abdellatif Laâbi, co-founder of the avant-garde review Souffles (1966-1972) will speak to artist Bouchra Khalili about his work, which interweaves tales of damned peoples and fantastical citadels.

Portrait of Gaëlle Choisne. Photograph by Marion Berrin.
Portrait of Gaëlle Choisne. Photograph by Marion Berrin.
Left: Portrait of Bouchra Kalili. Right: Portrait of Abdellatif Laâbi. Photograph by Najwan Darwich.
Left: Portrait of Bouchra Kalili. Right: Portrait of Abdellatif Laâbi. Photograph by Najwan Darwich.

Popular mythologies and cultures: from Walt Disney to camp excess

From exuberant bodies to over-the-top make-up and pastiches of social vanities, ‘Drag and Camp: the Aesthetics of Excess’ will feature the high priest of underground cinema, Bruce LaBruce, whose expansive creativity led him to probe the nuances of homoerotic artificiality. It only takes a small step from this extravagance to cross into the hallucinatory dreams of Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940). To mark the studios’ 100th anniversary, we will take a closer look at creators who have sought to elevate animation to the level of art. Writer and media historian Norman Klein will discuss how animation studios have taken the place of the Baroque churches of the High Renaissance in the generation of contemporary myths.

Portrait of Bruce LaBruce. Photograph by George Nebieridze.
Portrait of Bruce LaBruce. Photograph by George Nebieridze.


Cinema on show: Revisiting Chantal Akerman and Isaac Julien

It wasn’t until the 1990s that cinema became fully incorporated into the world of contemporary art, with key exhibitions such as ‘Passages de l’image’ (1990) at the Centre Pompidou, co-curated by Raymond Bellour, Catherine David, and Christine van Assche. In recognition of this history, we want to focus on two vital figures whose practices straddle both the black box and the white cube: Chantal Akerman and Isaac Julien. The influence of Akerman – an heir to both the Nouvelle Vague and American Structural film, whose work oscillates between punk and rigor – will be analyzed through the lens of American artist Collier Schorr’s ballet-in-progress, adapted from the Belgian director’s film Je, tu, il, elle (1974). In parallel, the Premiere Artist Talk will celebrate Julien, whose recent retrospective at Tate Britain presented a cinematographic body of work that alternates between a search for aesthetic refinement and a desire to give flesh to the bones of history.


Left: Portrait of Collier Schorr. Right: Portrait of Isaac Julien. Photograph by Thierry Bal.
Left: Portrait of Collier Schorr. Right: Portrait of Isaac Julien. Photograph by Thierry Bal.

Performance by Blackhaine: Antonin Artaud meets Playboi Carti

The choreographer and rapper Blackhaine will bring Artaud to life in a performance of pure somatic release. Combining Drill, Noise, and Butoh, the young British star will seek to create an epic state of feverish wonder to conclude this year’s Conversations series.

We look forward to welcoming you.


Charles Teyssou and Pierre-Alexandre Mateos are the curators of Paris+ par Art Basel Conversations.

Conversations brings together today’s most inspiring cultural figures. Experience live debates and learn from thought leaders as they exchange on the key topics shaping the world of art and culture. Please see our upcoming Conversations in Events.

Caption for full-bleed image: Jardin du Musée national Picasso-Paris. Photograph by Aliki Christoforou for Paris+ par Art Basel.