Art Basel Paris, one of the world's leading international art fairs third edition featured 195 top galleries from 42 countries and regions, including 65 with a presence in France and 53 first-time participants, offering an exceptional showcase of artistic mastery across various mediums, spanning over 100 years of art history. The return to the Grand Palais, after three years of extensive renovations, marked a pivotal moment for Art Basel, further solidifying its strong connection to Paris and its dynamic cultural landscape.
Discover the Foto Femme United picks below.
Sophie Calle
Since the late 1970s, Sophie Calle has created art that delves into her emotional and psychological world through provocative and often controversial methods. Known for her investigative approach to human relationships, her works include following a stranger in Venice and secretly photographing hotel guests' belongings. Calle's art has been exhibited globally, including at prestigious venues such as Palais de Tokyo, Paris; the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; and Whitechapel Art Gallery, London. In 2019, she was honoured with Cinq, a five-part retrospective in Marseille. Her works are also held in major public collections, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
Her series of work, The Sleepers is represented by Paula Cooper Gallery at Art Basel Paris.
Sara Deraedt
The series of work by contemporary photographer Sara Deraedt, titled Babies Being Born Out of a Computer, was exhibited by Maxwell Graham Gallery, New York City. This thought-provoking series explores the intersection of technology, identity, and human life.
Tarrah Krajnak
Tarrah Krajnak, Lima, Peru, is a multidisciplinary artist working in photography, performance, and poetry, now based in Los Angeles and a member of the UCLA Department of Art faculty. Represented by Zander Galerie (Cologne/Paris), Krajnak was awarded a 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship and recently won the Jury Prize for the Louis Roederer Discovery Award at Les Rencontres d'Arles, along with other prestigious honours such as the Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize and the Hariban Grand Prize from Benrido, Kyoto.
Her series of work, Repose is represented by Zander Galerie.
Ana Mendieta
In her short career, Cuban artist Ana Mendieta, created an innovative and prolific body of work spanning photography, film, video, drawing, sculpture, and site-specific installations. Her work remains highly relevant today, as it explores themes such as exile, displacement, and a reconnection with nature. Mendieta is best known for her Siluetas series, where she merged her body with natural landscapes, creating a personal synthesis of Body Art and Land Art.
Through her use of natural elements like fire and water, she symbolically became part of the environment, addressing displacement and identity. From Iowa to Mexico, Cuba, New York, and Rome, Mendieta's exploration of the earth as a space to confront these themes continues to resonate in contemporary discussions of nature and belonging.
Images from Untitled (Grass on Woman) is represented at Art Basel by Prats Nogueras Blanchard.
Sophie Thun
Sophie Thun, who lives and works in Vienna, is an artist primarily focused on the techniques and processes of analogue photography, as well as the spatial and contextual conditions of its production and exhibition. Thun's practice often explores the interplay between the medium itself and the environments in which her works are created and displayed, adding a conceptual depth to her photographic investigations.
Originally raised in Warsaw, Thun completed her master's degree at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 2017, studying under renowned artists Martin Guttmann and Daniel Richter, after previously earning a degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow in 2010. Her academic achievements and practical expertise in photography have led to her current role as interim professor of the photography class at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, a prestigious position that reflects her growing influence in the contemporary art world.
Her works are represented by Sophie Tappeiner.
We look forward to seeing greater representation of female and non-binary photographers at future editions of Art Basel Paris. Promoting diversity and inclusivity within the art world is essential, and showcasing the work of underrepresented voices in photography will enrich the fair's global cultural dialogue.