The FIAC was founded in 1974 as the International Exhibition of Contemporary Art (Salon international d’art contemporain). It took place at Gare de La Bastille, a former railway station that served as a concert and exhibition hall. The inaugural exhibition featured around 80 European art galleries and attracted around 9,000 attendees.
The fair has been growing ever since its inception. In total, it features some 1,500 artists who show their work for around 70,000 spectators, including gallery owners, collectors, curators, museum directors, art critics, art historians, and the general public. The main goal of the FIAC is to introduce the public to the latest developments in contemporary art through works of both world-famous and up-and-coming artists from various countries.
The main venue of the International Contemporary Art Fair is the Grand Palais, a large exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées. Other venues that host exhibitions and the Hors les Murs (Out of the Walls) programs include the Petit Palais, the Tuileries Garden, the Musée Delacroix, and Place Vendôme. The Hors les Murs events include outdoor artworks and installations, performances, art conferences, film screenings, and more.
One of the highlights of the FIAC is the Marcel Duchamp Prize award ceremony. The Marcel Duchamp Prize (Prix Marcel Duchamp) is an annual award presented to an innovative French artist or artist residing in France. Past winners have included Thomas Hirschhorn, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Melik Ohanian, Latifa Echakchch, Mircea Cantor, Saâdane Afif, Laurent Grasso, Tatiana Trouvé, and others.
