Paris has steadily consolidated its position as one of the leading cities in the global contemporary art market. France remains the fourth-largest art market in the world and the largest in Europe, accounting for roughly seven per cent of the global total — a share that has held relatively stable even as the broader global market has contracted. The global art market in 2025 was estimated at between $57 and $58 billion USD, down approximately 12 per cent from recent peak years, with much of that contraction felt at the ultra-high end of the market. However, the mid-range and accessible segments have shown distinct resilience, with some analysts reporting growth of around 17 per cent in works priced below premium thresholds. This has influenced how Paris galleries are calibrating their programmes, with many increasingly attentive to presenting works at a broader range of price points while continuing to pursue major institutional-quality shows.
The autumn of 2025 proved notably stronger than the first three quarters of the year. Art Basel Paris — the fair formerly known as Paris+ par Art Basel — returned to the fully restored Grand Palais in October 2025, hosting around 200 galleries from 41 countries. The VIP preview days generated significant transactional activity: Hauser & Wirth reported sales exceeding $30 million during the preview period, including a Gerhard Richter Abstrakte Bilde (1987) sold for $23 million. David Zwirner sold a work by Ruth Asawa for $7.5 million, while White Cube confirmed the sale of Julie Mehretu's Charioteer (2007) for $11 million. Goodman Gallery sold two works by William Kentridge: a film for $450,000 to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and a work on paper for $550,000 to a US museum. Karma placed Matthew Wong's White Wave, Black Sand (2017) for $3.5 million.
These results — at a fair that is by invitation and strongly collector-focused — underscore the selective but active nature of the market. Looking at 2026 more broadly, market analysts anticipate a continued period of measured recovery. Private sales are growing in importance relative to public auctions, now accounting for approximately 20 per cent of total revenue across the sector, up from 12 per cent a decade ago. For Paris galleries specifically, this shift toward discretion and relationship-driven dealership fits naturally with the culture of the city.
Art Paris 2026, the 28th edition of this fair, is scheduled for 9 to 12 April at the Grand Palais, with around 165 French and international galleries participating. Its thematic programme, Babel: Art and Language in France, brings together 21 artists whose work explores linguistic structures and systems of signs. The BNP Paribas Banque Privée Prize, worth €40,000 in total, will reward a living artist from the French contemporary scene.
The Galleries
Perrotin
Founded in Paris in 1990 by Emmanuel Perrotin, then aged 21, Perrotin has grown into one of the more internationally networked galleries with spaces across Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Dubai, and London. The Paris operation remains central to the gallery's identity. Its primary Marais location is in an 18th-century townhouse known as the Grand Veneur, at 76 rue de Turenne in the 3rd arrondissement. A secondary Paris space, focused on the secondary market, operates at 8 avenue Matignon in the 8th arrondissement. The gallery represents approximately 75 artists from over 26 nationalities and organises around 45 exhibitions per year across its global locations.
In Paris in 2026, Perrotin opened the year with a solo exhibition by Kathia St. Hilaire, The Vocals of the Chaotic Burst (10 January – 7 March), at the Marais space. A group exhibition, Un siècle d'échecs, ran from 31 January to 28 February. Danielle Orchard's Borrowed Chord opens 14 March and runs to 18 April at the Paris Marais location.
Gagosian
Gagosian maintains two Paris spaces. The primary gallery is at 4 rue de Ponthieu in the 8th arrondissement, open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm. A second space operates on rue de Castiglione, near the Place Vendôme. Founded by Larry Gagosian in Los Angeles in 1980, the gallery is now one of the largest networks in the world, with 18 exhibition spaces across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
In 2026, the rue de Castiglione space is presenting Wes Anderson's The House On Utopia Parkway: Joseph Cornell's Studio Reimagined By Wes Anderson (16 December 2025 – 14 March 2026), an unusual crossover project reimagining the studio of American artist Joseph Cornell. At rue de Ponthieu, Titus Kaphar's The Fire This Time ran from 29 January to 7 March 2026.
Thaddaeus Ropac
Founded in Salzburg in 1983 by the Austrian gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac, the gallery opened its first Paris space in 1990 in the Marais district. It now operates two Paris locations: the Marais gallery at 7 rue Debelleyme in the 3rd arrondissement, occupying 1,000 square metres across four floors, and a much larger space — originally a 20th-century ironworks factory — at 69 avenue du Général Leclerc in Pantin, suited to large-scale and ambitious installations. Additional spaces operate in Salzburg, London, Milan, and Seoul. The gallery represents over 70 artists and organises upwards of 40 exhibitions a year across its locations. Thaddaeus Ropac also operates its own publishing house and actively advises institutional and corporate collections.
Galerie Chantal Crousel
Established in 1980 by Chantal Crousel, and now co-directed with her son Niklas Svennung, Galerie Chantal Crousel has been situated at 10 rue Charlot in the 3rd arrondissement since 2005. It was one of the first galleries in France to develop a truly international programme, hosting early solo exhibitions in France by Tony Cragg and Cindy Sherman. The gallery gave the only solo gallery exhibition during the lifetime of Israeli-French sculptor Absalon. Today it represents 33 international artists — including Mona Hatoum, Gabriel Orozco, Wolfgang Tillmans, Haegue Yang, Danh Vo, Anri Sala, and Wade Guyton — united, in the gallery's words, by a shared impulse to question established social space through innovative forms.
In 2026, the gallery presented the group exhibition Pharmakon from 30 January to 7 March, and it participates in major international fairs including Art Basel, TEFAF, and Art Dubai. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 6pm, and Saturday, 11am to 7pm.
Galerie Templon
Founded in 1966 by Daniel Templon at the age of 21 — initially on rue Bonaparte in Saint-Germain-des-Prés — Templon moved to its current Marais location at 30 rue Beaubourg, close to the Centre Pompidou, in 1972. A second Paris space operates at 28 rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare, also in the 3rd arrondissement. Additional spaces are based in Brussels and New York. The gallery has a long history of introducing significant American artists to France — Dan Flavin, Ellsworth Kelly, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jean-Michel Basquiat have all been exhibited here — alongside major French artists including Arman, Daniel Buren, and Gérard Garouste. In 1972, Daniel Templon co-founded the art monthly ART PRESS with Catherine Millet.
In 2026, the gallery showed Léonard Martin's Chef Menteur (10 January – 14 March) at the rue Beaubourg space and Martial Raysse (10 January – 14 March) at the Grenier Saint-Lazare space. Gallery hours are Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm.
Almine Rech
Almine Rech opened her first gallery in Paris in 1997, then in the 13th arrondissement. Today she operates two Paris locations: one at 64 rue de Turenne in the 3rd arrondissement and another at 2 avenue Matignon in the 8th. Additional spaces are in Brussels, London, and New York, though the London operation has been reduced in scale, reflecting wider market pressures on the cost of large-footprint gallery spaces in that city. The gallery has a broad international programme, including artists such as Jean Dewasne, and regularly shows both historical and contemporary work. The Turenne and Matignon spaces serve distinct curatorial functions within the Paris programme.
In 2026, the rue de Turenne space presented Emily Mason's Other Rooms, Works from 1959–2017 (10 January – 14 March) and the Matignon space presented Jean Dewasne (10 January – 14 March).
David Zwirner
David Zwirner opened its Paris gallery in October 2019, becoming the gallery's first continental European outpost. The space at 108 rue Vieille du Temple in the 3rd arrondissement — formerly occupied by the legendary French gallerist Yvon Lambert — is a ground-floor, skylit, column-free space of around 8,600 square feet. The building's 19th-century "Eiffel-style" skylight was preserved during a recent renovation, which saw the gallery temporarily closed and then reopened in autumn 2024. A second floor has also been added. David Zwirner's Paris programme presents both established and emerging artists, working across primary and secondary markets.
In 2026, the Paris gallery opened the year with simultaneous presentations of Josef Albers' Duets and a solo exhibition of Léon Spilliaert, both running 15 January to 21 March.
Hauser & Wirth
Hauser & Wirth opened its Paris gallery at 26 bis rue François 1er in the 8th arrondissement, completing a long-anticipated expansion into the French capital. The location places it a short walk from the gallery cluster on Avenue Matignon, which includes Perrotin, Almine Rech, and White Cube, and is also close to the Grand Palais. The gallery is one of the largest internationally, with additional spaces in New York, Los Angeles, London, Zurich, Somerset, Menorca, Monaco, and a forthcoming location in Sicily.
In 2026, the Paris space presented Sophie Taeuber-Arp's La règle des courbes / The Rule of Curves from 17 January to 7 March, an exhibition of the Swiss abstract artist's work.
White Cube
White Cube opened its Paris space in February 2020 on the first floor of a converted early 19th-century residential building at 10 avenue Matignon in the 8th arrondissement. The gallery, which is accessible by lift, comprises over 200 square metres in an enfilade of four interconnected, naturally lit rooms, with a reception, library, and private offices. Open Tuesday to Saturday, though primarily by appointment. The Paris operation is relatively intimate compared to White Cube's major London spaces (Bermondsey and Mason's Yard), but it has presented a programme of considerable depth.
In 2026, the Paris space opened with Léon Wuidar's La règle des courbes (14 January – 21 February), followed by Theaster Gates' And Other Paintings (6 March – 4 April), the artist's first dedicated Paris gallery presentation of paintings, and then Park Seo-Bo (15 April – 30 May).
Galerie Lelong & Co.
Founded in 1981 by Daniel Lelong, Jacques Dupin, and Jean Frémon, with a New York space opened in 1985, Galerie Lelong operates two Paris locations: one at 13 rue de Téhéran in the 8th arrondissement, and a second at 38 avenue Matignon, also in the 8th. The gallery has a strong reputation for championing both international contemporary artists and artists involved in major public commissions. It has represented or exhibited major figures across a wide range of media.
In 2026, the Paris spaces opened the year with Sarah Grilo's Paris ↔ Madrid (15 January – 7 March) at the rue de Téhéran space, and Guy Yanai's You Must Change Your Life (15 January – 7 March) at the avenue Matignon location.
https://www.galerie-lelong.com
Galerie Max Hetzler
Galerie Max Hetzler has a Paris location that has become increasingly active in recent seasons. Founded in Stuttgart in 1974 and subsequently based in Cologne and Berlin, the gallery has used its Paris space to present both its established artists and international figures. In 2026, the gallery presented Tal R: domestic (17 January – 28 February) and Friedrich Kunath's On A Clear Day I Can See You Forever (7 March – 16 May).
Galerie Marian Goodman
Galerie Marian Goodman has two Paris spaces at 66 rue du Temple in the 3rd arrondissement, representing some of the most widely respected artists working in contemporary art internationally. The Paris gallery has long been a key European base for the New York-founded gallery, and its programme consistently engages conceptual, video, and multi-disciplinary practices.
In 2026, the Paris space presented Barkley L. Hendricks' All Is Portraiture (6 February – 4 April).
Galerie Kamel Mennour
Kamel Mennour is one of the most respected French-founded galleries operating in Paris today. With spaces in the Marais and on the Left Bank, the gallery represents a strong roster of French and international artists including Camille Henrot, Laurent Grasso, and Adel Abdessemed. The gallery is closely associated with the development of video and installation art in France and has been a consistent presence at Art Basel, FIAC, and now Paris+ par Art Basel.
Wider Context: The Fair Calendar and Market Dynamics
Beyond individual galleries, the fair calendar anchors much of the professional activity in Paris. Art Basel Paris (formerly Paris+ par Art Basel) at the Grand Palais in October has grown rapidly in stature and is now considered a peer event to the flagship Basel edition in terms of the calibre of participating galleries and buyers. The Art Paris fair in April at the Grand Palais offers a complementary focus on French and European artists, with dedicated sections for younger galleries and emerging talent.
Paris Gallery Weekend, launched in 2014 by Marion Papillon, continues to draw attention to the city's gallery programme on a broader public and professional level, typically in May, with participating spaces across the city offering coordinated openings, talks, and events.
Two notable structural developments marked 2025. First, Perrotin opened a London space in March 2025, extending one of Paris's flagship galleries further into the UK market. Second, Thaddaeus Ropac opened a space in Milan in September 2025 — its first Italian location — in the Palazzo Belgioioso, near Teatro alla Scala. Waddington Custot is also expected to open in Paris in early 2026.
The broader shift in collector taste — toward smaller, more affordable, craft-attentive, and personally resonant works — is something several Paris gallery directors have acknowledged in their programming. Purchases of small-format work have risen considerably across online platforms, and galleries increasingly balance major primary market shows with secondary market presentations and private sale activity. Paris, with its tradition of discretion and private viewing culture, is well placed to absorb this shift.
Information in this article reflects publicly available data as of February 2026. Exhibition dates and gallery details are subject to change; readers should verify directly with galleries before visiting.