Art Basel Paris opened to collectors on Tuesday and will now close its doors at the end of Friday. The fair has scrapped its Saturday and Sunday slots because of demonstrations expected across the city this weekend.
Quiet streets, closing doors
In an email to the press on Thursday, organizers said they acted “in the interest of safeguarding our visitors, exhibitors, partners, staff, and artworks.” The move followed calls on social media for protesters to target the fair. Anyone going in on Friday must show government ID. “This decision has not been taken lightly,” the email said, “and the safety of everyone involved in the fair remains our utmost priority.” Fondation Louis Vuitton and other museums are taking a similar line and will stay shut for part or all of Saturday.
Not everything was caught by the mood change. On October 20, Miu Miu celebrated the opening of Alice Dolop’s exhibition Geste de Consolation, before anxiety about the protests built.
What unfolded last Saturday
The caution traces back to last weekend, when looters took advantage of cost-of-living and education protests that drew students and members of France’s Yellow Vests movement. Hundreds of stores were hit in Paris, Milan and other European cities. The Fédération du commerce et de la distribution says about 1,500 shops and retailers in France were affected. Among the targets were Burberry, Christian Dior Parfums and Louis Vuitton on Rue Saint-Honoré, Kenzo, Salomon and Arc’teryx on Boulevard de la Madeleine, Lacoste on Boulevard des Capucines, and Celine on Avenue Montaigne.
Sephora closed almost its whole French network after heavy damage. Catherine Spindler, who heads Sephora Europe and the Middle East, wrote on LinkedIn that several stores were ransacked and that staff faced violence and extreme tension. At Hermès, finance executive Éric du Halgouët told investors on Thursday that the Paris stores have reopened while the Marseille shop stays closed. For those involved, the next three weekends look no easier, since calls for further strikes and demonstrations are circulating.
Brands and the NFL weigh the risk
Beauty brand Glow Recipe had planned a pop-up for October 24 and 25. On Wednesday it told followers on Instagram that the event would not go ahead as planned, saying the safety of its community and team “will always come first.”
The NFL says it is confident in its security teams and that the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints will play at the Stade de France on Sunday as scheduled. Events around the game are another matter. A private brunch hosted by the league’s style editor has been called off.
Sources
- More Planned Riots Put Off Art, Fashion and Sport Events in Paris
- Brands Prepare for More Looting as Further Protests Are Planned Across Europe
- Retail Executives Speak Out After Store Looting in Paris
Photo: RAWdz Ivan (CC BY 4.0)
