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• Issue #270
• Article

By Michael Diemar

The newly refurbished and expanded Grand Palais was the site for this year's Paris Photo. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

After three years at Grand Palais Éphémère, the temporary exhibition structure erected on Champ de Mars, Paris Photo, the world's leading art fair for photography, returned to the Grand Palais for its 27th edition. Having undergone an extensive three-year-long refurbishment, Grand Palais once again shone in its Art Nouveau splendor.

There was a great deal of trepidation before to the fair. Business has been more than a little slow these last few years, with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East adding to the general uncertainty over the global economy. But the main concern this time was the US election. Many exhibitors feared a repeat of 2016 after Donald J. Trump had been declared the winner, with some Americans being so shaken that some were crying, and others, as one dealer reported, "were walking around like zombies". And they certainly weren't buying.

This time around, with polls indicating a race so tight that the results were impossible to predict, many exhibitors feared that the counting of votes was going to drag on for days, overshadowing the fair, at least as far as American buyers were concerned. But by early morning Paris time, it was clear that Trump had won. I didn't hear reports of tears or zombie-like behavior but I did meet more than a few Americans who told me that they were determined to enjoy the fair and put the election out of their minds, at least until they were back in the US.

Brigitte Macron visiting Paris Photo. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

As for Grand Palais, it wasn't simply a case of moving back into what now looked "bright, shiny and new". The refurbishment had not only opened up the upper level of the building. Several spaces and long corridors, previously closed off, had been discovered, now all utilized, leading to a far bigger fair, with a whopping 240 exhibitors, 195 galleries and 45 publishers. It was all a lot to take in. And on top, attendance was up, from 65,000 last year to 80,000. One of them being Brigitte Macron who stepped out of Fraenkel Gallery's stand when I arrived.

The downside to all this was the heating system, located underneath the floor. The version I heard from several exhibitors was that it hadn't been tested before the fair and when it was switched on, it didn't work. The floor couldn't be broken up once the fair got going, so Grand Palais was cold. Mobile heaters were placed here and there but they weren't adequate for such a large building. Several exhibitors told me that a lot of visitors moved quickly through the fairs, not spending much time to inspect and ponder and that they felt that this affected sales.

The quality of the work on offer at Paris Photo was, as always, very high. A few months prior to the fair, rumor began to spread that Cologne-based gallerist Julian Sander was going to show all of his great-grandfather August Sander's project "People of the 20th Century", altogether 619 prints. Quite a few gallerists I spoke to during the months leading up to the fair simply refused to believe it, "All of it? Come on! He can't do that!" Well, he could and he did. And I suspect the presentation will be regarded as a highlight in the history of the fair in years to come.

"Well he could and he did". Julian Sander showed all of his great-grandfather August Sander's project "People of the 20th Century", altogether 619 prints. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

Julian Sander is a man with ideas. A few years ago, he launched a most interesting NFT project, giving away NFTs of contact sheets of August Sander's for free. This time, he took the opportunity to launch COLLEKTON, an App with many uses, navigating fairs, archiving exhibitions and much else. Sander told me, "I am still amazed that we did pull it off. Murphy and his law were present at all times but I knew that ahead of time and planned accordingly. I understand that some did not believe I could pull it off. This has been one of the most common responses when I do much of anything! I am glad to have proven them wrong. Needless to say, the response was overwhelmingly positive. All of the colleagues who spoke to me were impressed by the presentation. Many thanked me for it. It was a show stealer, but one very needed I believe."

The 619 prints, printed by Gerd Sander, were offered as a complete set but the gallery also had a selection of individual images. As for the sales, Sander told me, "We are in active negotiations on a sale for the set. I cannot say more than that. We also sold a number of individual prints although I am not sure people were aware we were selling individual works. Those who are interested can still browse through alternate prints using the Collekton app where the exhibition can be seen, or by reaching out to us at the gallery. As for the fair overall, I thought it was simply beautiful. Florence and her team did a fantastic job. May the echo go around the world!"

Hans P. Kraus, Jr. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

Elsewhere, I came across an image of a smaller size that will echo with me for a long time. It was "Roofline of Lacock Abbey", photogenic drawing negative, circa 1839, by William Henry Fox Talbot, exhibited by Hans P. Kraus Jr., New York. Kraus told me, "This year, we wanted to emphasize images of Lacock Abbey, show the birthplace of photography, and in addition to images by Fox Talbot, we also had some daguerreotypes by Mike Robinson."

There were other exquisite works as well, "In addition, we showed Nadar's images of the Paris catacombs, some photomechanical works by Fox Talbot and some by Hippolyte Fizeau, printed directly from daguerreotypes. We also wanted to present a variety of early impressions from photographic sources so we showed a group of Julien Vallou Villeneuve, negatives and positives and that will be the subject of our upcoming exhibition at our gallery in January."

When I spoke to Kraus at AIPAD's The Photography Fair this year, he told me that the 2023 edition of Paris Photo had been a bit slow and that most of the sales had taken place afterward, "I think it will be the same this year. Right now, there are a lot of discussions and inquiries, some people are still thinking about specific works before making decisions."

Some longtime exhibitors were missing this year, most noticeably Hamiltons, known for booths designed to the nth degree, and Galerie Françoise Paviot/Vintage Works, Ltd., which had in the past showed a combination of cutting edge contemporary and some of the most important vintage photographs in the fair.

Pancho Saula of Galeria Alta, a new exhibitor to the fair. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

There were, however some very impressive first-time exhibitors, one of them being Galeria Alta, the best photography gallery in Andorra, the tiny principality (population around 80,000) situated between France and Spain. It's also the only photography gallery in Andorra. The gallery presented a wonderful solo show with Spanish photographer Ramón Masats, born in 1931, who passed away in March this year. It focused on his black-and-white work from the 1950s and early 60s. After that, he made documentaries, before returning to photography, in color, in 1981. It was sublime.

Pancho Saula told me, "We wanted to make a strong statement at the fair. It marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time both the gallery and Masats' BC work were featured at the world's premier photography fair. We are incredibly happy and thankful for the sales we achieved and the phenomenal response from museums, collectors, press, curators, and institutions during Paris Photo."

Simone Klein with Bruno Tartarin. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

Bruno Tartarin was another very impressive first-time exhibitor and the works on the stand were very skillfully chosen and displayed, covering different time periods and approaches to photography.

Tartarin told me, "I brought a large group of works by Gustave Le Gray, including La Grande Vague, as well as flower studies by Adolphe Braun, tree studies by Olympe Aguado, Samurai images by Felice Beato and some stunning Atget images. I also had a small separate space in the corner, showing daguerreotypes, including a presumed self-portrait by Marie Chambefort, circa 1859, which caused great excitement. The experimental work included a 1947 Rayogramme by Man Ray, avant garde images by Eli Lotar and Jean Painlevé and four beautiful images of a dancer by Max Yves Brandily."

Tartarin was pleased with his debut, "We sold two Gustave Le Gray prints, some important daguerreotypes and a lot of mid-price 20th-century works. We had great reactions to our booth, and I found the audience to be open-minded and knowledgeable."

Michael Hoppen's stand had been curated with the sensibility of a true collector, with works by Guy Bourdin, Ei-Q, László Moholy-Nagy, Duchenne de Boulogne, Kansuke Yamamoto, Lee Miller and Dora Maar, to name a few.

Hoppen told me, "Every year, it's a challenge as to what to bring. I never show the same things twice. If something hasn't sold, it goes back into the box. This year is the centenary of the founding of Surrealism, and we tapped into that. Not just by artists who created works after 1924, but also works that were made prior, that had become Surreal beyond their intent, including a marvelous print by Duchenne de Boulogne. I was pleased to show a 1932 documentary image by Dora Maar of boys playing in a street in Madrid that she later used as one of the elements in her famous 1936 photomontage "Le Simulateur". I'm pleased to say that it was acquired by SFMOMA, as the museum has been bequeathed the photomontage."

"Sales have been good for us, but it's always difficult to predict what will sell. Despite the centenary, the Claude Cahun didn't sell, while other works did. Attendance was way up this year so the interest in photography is clearly massive. If one could convert just 10% of the 80 000 people that came the fair into becoming collectors, I mean genuine collectors, that would be amazing."

Gilles Peyroulet and Dominique Chenivesse, Peyroulet & Cie. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

Gilles Peyroulet and Dominique Chenivesse, of Paris-based Peyroulet & Cie, showed an exhibition called "Paris est une fête", its name taken from the French title of Ernest Hemingway's novel "A Movable Feast", with vintage prints from the period 1920-1940, by the photographers who came to Paris and documented the city. Among the many names were Marcel Bovis, Ilse Bing, Germaine Krull, Daniel Masclet, Jean Moral, Eli Lotar and Robert-Hubert Payelle. Chenivesse told me, "With things being the way they are, we opted for a lower price point this year, from 5,000 to 30,000 euros and that proved to be a very wise strategy. We had very good sales, especially with the women photographers. Some things are on hold, and we are also in discussion with several collectors who didn't make it to Paris this year, so we are very pleased."

Lumière des Roses, based in the Montreuil area of Paris, has over the years built a loyal following of private collectors and museum curators. It focuses on unique images by unknown photographers and rarities by the masters. Their buyers head straight for their stand as the doors open. There was incredible material on show, including a 1905 portrait of Claude Money by Adolphe de Meyer, a 1940 image of a boy on roller skates, using a dog as an engine to propel him forwards, 1930s images of Constantin Brancusi, taken from a film shot by Ronsin and a rare set of eight prints, close-ups of objects that appeared in Michelangelo Antonioni's film "Blow-Up".

Marion and Philippe Jacquier of Lumiere des Roses. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

Philippe Jacquier told me, "It was a great idea. Antonioni gave sets of these to the most important journalists who would be present at the screening of his film at the 1967 Cannes Film Festival, where he won the Palme d'Or. I first heard of these sets 10 years ago from a specialist in cinema photography. He didn't want to sell his set but after years and years of asking he finally said yes. It didn't sell to a collector of "Blow-Up", but to somebody for whom Veruschka, who appeared in the film, was simply the best fashion model ever."

Jacquier had had a good fair, "We always do well at Paris Photo and this year was no exception. Around 75% of the booth sold. Every year, we meet important museum curators, the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year we sold several pieces to museums. Still, the majority of buyers are private collectors. But the material we focus on is getting harder and harder to find, and that's a bit of a worry for us."

Stephen Daiter Gallery. (Photo courtesy of the gallery)

I stopped by the Chicago-based Stephen Daiter Gallery several times, one of the absolute standout booths at the fair.

Daiter told me, "Our booth this year was centered around portraiture in its many forms: from straight portraits, which included Dawoud Bey's "Street Portraits" project and direct self-portraits such as LaToya Ruby Frazier in the "Notion of Family", to Annie Wang photographing herself and her son in "Me and My Son are The Same Height". More obscure and ethereal images included Gary Schneider's "Helen" (Gee), and Peter Hujar's cover image of "Portraits in Life and Death of the Catacombs in Palermo", the actual print used for the cover of his only lifetime book. We also showed much more experimental takes on the portrait, including Barbara Blondeau's nude montages of herself, David Lebe's "Light Line Drawings", and works by Institute of Design teachers and alumni, including Joseph Sterling, Yasuhiro Ishimoto, and Barbara Crane. The latter had an exceptional exhibition concurrently at the Pompidou Center. We also showed classic works by Robert Frank and those he influenced, including Gene Richards and David Heath."

I was not alone in returning to Daiter's booth. Daiter commented, "We had so many compliments from dealers, curators and clients. We sold quite a few things but it was still slower than in previous years. We did well with Peter Hujar and classic material in the 5,000 to 15,000-price range. Good experimental pieces sold well, including pieces by Charles Swedlund, Robert Heinecken, Gary Schneider and David Lebe. The fair itself looked terrific at the newly renovated Grand Palais and was well attended. I just wish the audience included more serious buyers of photography."

Andrei Jecza, Jecza Gallery. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

There was a lot of magnificent experimental work at the fair this year. Including the work that I saw at the stand of Jecza Gallery, Timisoara, Romania. Andrei Jecza told me, "We have shown at Paris Photo before. For this edition, we decided to create a dialogue between two historical figures of conceptual photography, Constantin Flondor and Iosif Kiraly, pioneers in the 1970s and 1980s. The booth was curated by Ami Barak, curator, critic and expert in the field. In addition to Flondor and Kiraly collaborating on projects and "actions", they were also mentors to a whole generation of younger artists. We were able to show early work by Kiraly as well as Flondor's most important work monumental photomontage from 1975, made during his time as a Sigma1 group member and founder."

Reflecting on his experiences of previous editions of the fair, Jecza told me, "Sales were good for us. Paris Photo is becoming a very good platform for conceptual art, as good as it is for classic photography, especially as many museum curators who attend the fair looking for hidden gems."

Attila Pöcze, Vintage Galeria. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

There was also some very interesting experimental work at Vintage Galeria, Budapest. Attila Pöcze told me, "Our selection for Paris Photo 2025 displayed different aspects of international relations and local positions in Hungarian art of the 20th century. László Káldor created his Budapest Diary in the 1930s parallel to André Kertész working in Paris and New York. While Kertész and György Lőrinczy became internationally recognized abroad and met each other in New York in the 1960s, Gyula Holics also had his works exhibited worldwide. Géza Perneczky left Hungary, but through his network he remained important to the non-official art scene. As a Hungarian-Austrian dual citizen, Dóra Maurer also fostered the development of the international relations of the Hungarian neo-avantgarde. These artists were friends and colleagues to artists such as Péter Donáth, whose work remained almost barely internationally known up to this day. Presenting their works side by side adds important enlightenments to the history of progressive Hungarian art."

Pöcze reported good sales, "We sold three Klára Langer advertising photographs to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, as well as works by Ákos Birkás, Attila Csörgő, Dóra Maurer and György Lőrinczy that went international private collections."

Gábor Einspach of Budapest gallery, Einspach & Czapolai Fine Art. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

Experiments of a more recent date were shown by another Budapest gallery, Einspach & Czapolai Fine Art. Gábor Einspach told me, "This year we decided to do a solo show with Tamas Dezsö, with many works from his acclaimed 2023 exhibition, "Hypothesis: Everything is Leaf", held at the Robert Capa Contemporary Center in Budapest. The works were not only aesthetically compelling but also thematically relevant and impactful. Dezsö's practice is focused on questions of materiality, temporality, plant existence, and the challenges posed by the ecological crisis. These themes are explored through his photography, sculptures, and installations, making his work deeply resonant and thought-provoking."

Einspach reported strong sales, "We successfully placed works with several prominent private collections. Additionally, we experienced the strong institutional interest we have come to expect. We engaged with several notable museums from France and the United States, opening discussions about adding Dezsö's work to their collections. I would also like to highlight the significant increase in interest from American collectors compared to previous years, which was particularly encouraging. We are already looking forward to next year. It was a great edition of the fair. Walking through the venue during the installation period, it was clear that every participating gallery brought their best work, showcasing exceptional pieces. Perhaps the grandeur of the Grand Palais inspired everyone to aim higher and put forward truly remarkable presentations."

Grégory Leroy. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

As in previous years, Grégory Leroy, Paris, and Charles Isaacs, New York, shared a booth. Isaacs later told me, "We presented a show called "The Mexican Modernism of Lazaro Blanco and Kati Horna". Blanco was a new discovery for us. Working in the 1970s, he ordered the chaos of urban life in Mexico through a structured, formal rigor that was entirely his own. He applied modernist techniques, such as contrast and unusual vantage points, to map the solitary lives of his subjects. In the same decade, Horna collaborated with Ricardo Legorreta, the renowned architect, on a series of wall studies, "Muros de Mexico". Her images extract abstract color compositions from the vibrant hues applied to Mexican buildings."

Sales had been good, Isaacs explained, "We did quite well and are pleased with the sales of both artists. The Tuesday preview has become a better event for sales over the last few years and this year was the best so far. Paris Photo is well organized, and the Grand Palais is great, but it's brutal for the exhibitors, with very long hours. Also, there was no heat, which was shocking, and that along with the mobs of visitors made for a very uncomfortable experience for both visitors and exhibitors."

Martijn van Pieterson noted that in addition to IBASHO, he and his wife have opened an additional gallery, IN-DEPENDANCE, and they had stands for both at the fair. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

Earlier in the year, AIPAD President Martijn van Pieterson announced that he and his wife Annemarie Zethof were expanding their operations in their home city of Antwerp. In addition to IBASHO, they have opened an additional gallery, IN-DEPENDANCE, and the couple had stands for both at the fair. Van Pieterson told me, "The theme of the IBASHO presentation was "Skin" and we brought intimate works and nudes by contemporary female artists Sayuri Ichida, Takako Kido, Miho Kajioka and Tokyo Rumando and male artist Naoyuki Ogino. We also had a classic section with masters, such as Eikoh Hosoe, Kishin Shinoyama, Nobuyoshi Araki, and many others. The reason for this choice was Takako Kido's work, which portrays herself, her husband and son. It follows the ancient Japanese philosophy of "Skinship", skin to skin contact, which moved us a lot."

The IN-DEPENDANCE booth, presented a solo show of Anton Kusters' "Blue Skies Project".

Van Pieterson continued, "We had a very good fair and sold works by all our contemporary artists. Sayuri Ichida sold very well, as did Takako Kido and Anton Kusters. We also managed to sell quite a few classic works. Overall, we enjoyed the fair very much. It was great to be back in the Grand Palais; the fair was very well attended, and the visitors were very engaged."

Christophe Lunn exhibited upstairs in the Emergence section of the Grand Palais the year. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

The Emergence section was placed upstairs in the Grand Palais. Among the exhibitors was Christophe Lunn, whose father Harry was instrumental in organizing the very first edition of Paris Photo back in 1997. His choice was a presentation of exquisite works by Takeshi Shikama, platinum palladium prints on Japanese Gampi paper.

Lunn, who shared the booth with Hong Kong-based Boogie Woogie Photography, remarked, "Sharing a booth in the Emergence section, as it was a smaller financial risk. I also wanted Vanessa Franklin to experience Paris Photo, and we both work with Takeshi Shikama. It was a good fair for us. We sold 21 works and over 65 copies of Takeshi's book "Contemplation". It was great to be back in the Grand Palais. For photography, the fair is the greatest show on earth!"

Tokyo-based MEM has always shown interesting, often unique works from the history of Japanese photography, The gallery had a very specific focus this time, as Katsuya Ishida explained. "In past editions of Paris Photo, we've presented a series of programs introducing the Japanese photo avant-garde from the 1930s to the early post-war period. Each exhibition has focused on a specific time, area, or city, often featuring a few amateur photo clubs and historically significant photographers. This year, we presented the Nagoya Photo Avant-Garde and VIVI, two photo clubs that existed pre- and early post-war in Nagoya city with the work of five photographers: Yoshifumi Hattori, Minayoshi Takada, Tsugio Tajima, Keiichiro Goto, and Kansuke Yamamoto. All photographs in the show were vintage prints directly acquired from the artists' families, except for a few modern prints."

Sales had been good, "We sold most of the vintage prints as well as photo montages by Kenichiro Goto and Minayoshi Takada. We also sold a few of Tajima's vintage abstract photographs mounted on panels, so it was a good fair for us."

Miyako Yoshinaga. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

I have always admired the New York-based Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery's stands. This year was no exception. Yoshinaga told me, "This year, we focused on abstractions in photography by two mid-career Asian artists, Hitoshi Fugo (Japan) and Joo Myung Duck (South Korea). Our strategy was to open our booth wide for visitors, engage in conversations and actively show them other works from these artists' same series in our portfolio boxes. As a result, our visitors gained a depth of understanding of each artist's concept and techniques. Because of Fugo and Joo being relatively unknown outside of their home countries, it was challenging to convince collectors to invest in their work rather than those of better-known artists at the fair. The most popular work in our exhibit was the KAMI series by Hitoshi Fugo, and that sold well."

There was an impressive public program this year. Just a few months prior to the fair, it was announced that MUUS Collection, based in Tenafly, NJ, had acquired the vast archive of Larry Fink (1941–2023). There was a lot of material. Michael W. Sonnefeldt, founder and owner of the collection told me, "Larry Fink kept his vast archive in various locations on his farm in Martins Creek in Pennsylvania. To give you an idea of the size, it took three 30-ft. trucks to pick up all the boxes."

Richard Grosbard, advisor to the MUUS collection. (Photo by Michael Diemar)

MUUS showed a gripping exhibition, curated by Lucy Sante, entitled "Sensual Empathy", the two words Fink used to describe his work. On display were 30 photographs, spanning his six-decades career, alongside his poetry, offering a comprehensive view of his multifaceted artistry. Richard Grosbard, advisor to the collection told me, "Fink's empathetic approach resonated strongly with attendees. Critics and visitors alike were captivated by how the show captured Fink's unique ability to portray diverse social strata with sensitivity and candor. The thoughtful curation by Sante, who personally knew Fink, added an intimate touch that didn't go unnoticed. We had a prime location at the fair, enabling us to showcase Fink's work to its fullest potential, for which we're incredibly grateful to Florence Bourgeois and her team. This context made the exhibition feel like a celebration of Fink's legacy and MUUS's commitment to preserving it. The accompanying new monograph was the cherry on top, enhancing the exhibition's impact."

The presentation of Daniel Blau, Salzburg, had relevance to the current state of world affairs in several ways. Blau told me, "Again, we decided to feature the main driving forces of the second half of the 20th Century: Cold War and Space Race. In view of expected uncertainties, like the election in US and the ongoing conflicts in Eastern Europe and around Israel, we chose to stick to our core strength of 20th-century vintage press and documentary photography.

Daniel Blau at his booth at Paris Photo. (Photo and copyright © Tomasz Dziurczak)

"The overall exhibition title, "The Brilliance of the Actual View" is from a quote by John Glenn, the first human to take a color picture in space, when orbiting Earth in Friendship 7, and points to our focus on 'air and fire'. We showed a series by Murray Becker of the Hindenburg disaster in May of 1936. Reportedly the first large accident to be broadcast in pictures by Wirephoto around the globe and published worldwide in daily newspapers within hours of the event, which we sold. A group of four collaged, oversized, pictures by Robert Capa on the foundation of Israel in 1948, printed for the traveling exhibition "The Concerned Photographer" in 1967/68 generated much debate and many conversations, and is on hold for an institution. We also sold a very large Orbiter "Earthrise" from 1966, a mosaic of the Apollo Mission's key moments, and a group of outstandin--as well as oversize--color pictures of the Voyager missions, and many of our 8 x 10 in. NASA pictures. John Glenn's "Horizon" and "Fireflies" are on hold to an institution."

Some images had a scary relevance. Blau continued, "As placeholders for the Cold War, we brought a group of U.S. Army pictures of nuclear test detonations. Noteworthy were a group of very unusual 1950s prints in color on white translucent film. Due to the material, they seem to be glowing from within, a print quality later achieved by Cibachrome, and we sold some of those."

As for the fair overall and sales, Blau told me, "Paris Photo walks a fine line between museum/educational exhibition and trade fair. It may be helpful to strongly advertise the predominate reason for us participating at the fair: to sell our wares!

"And strangely enough, the 500 million euros spent on the renovation were not sufficient incentive for someone to imagine that a gentle floor heating for a building with the entrance doors on ground level and 40-meter-high glass ceilings would not work without fans pushing the warm air back down. Accordingly, we did not sell to architects, who must have been brainstorming in a dark corner for a solution for Paris Photo 2025! Aside from the cold throughout the entire time, forcing exhibitors and visitors alike to come out in long johns and mittens, the fair took off only late on Thursday. The clear outcome of the US election had, economically speaking, an inspiring effect on our clients, resulting in a sparkling finale on Saturday and Sunday."

With 240 exhibitors, this was an exhaustive and exhausting fair. Not everyone did well, and some exhibitors declined to comment for this report. Others did better, and I'm quoting here from the Paris Photo closing press release: "The solo shows were a huge commercial success, including the Fraenkel gallery and Hiroshi Sugimoto (works sold for between €20,000 and €500,000), and Mariane Ibrahim with the Lorraine O'Grady solo show. Pace sold photographs by Irving Penn, Peter Hujar, Robert Rauschenberg and Robert Frank, with works going for as much as €350,000. Thomas Zander's Robert Frank show was a big success. There was also great enthusiasm for the works of Josef Sudek at Howard Greenberg. Several complete editions of Tyler Mitchell at Gagosian were sold out at the preview.

At 193 Gallery, a polyptych by Joana Choumali found a buyer at €80,000, while a work by the Italian Massimo Vitali was acquired for $73,000 at Edwynn Houk. Robert Morat had considerable success with Christian Patterson and Lisa Darjes.

There was also a very positive dynamic for French galleries. Nathalie Obadia sold works by Youssef Nabil, Andres Serrano and Valérie Belin, for prices ranging from €15,000 to €30,000. Maubert sold all of Nicolas Floch's works in the form of columns (€20,000 each), and Christian Berst sold works by American photographer John Kayser for €80,000. The Lille-based gallery Bacqueville achieved good sales for the three artists it was showing, with diptychs by David De Beyter (€20,000 each), as well as ten works by Thomas Devaux and pieces by Bérangère Fromont.

Michael Diemar is a London-based collector and consultant. He is also editor-in-chief of The Classic, a new free magazine about classic photography. He is a long-time writer about the photography scene, writing extensively for several Scandinavian photography publications, as well as for the E-Photo Newsletter and I Photo Central.