What’s on in Paris this October

1 October 2016

Admire Vintage Cars & Invest in Contemporary Art During a Five-Star Stay at Hotel de Vigny

With its winding rues lined with designer boutiques, Paris is famed as the perfect destination for a little luxury retail therapy. However, away from the Champs-Élysées and Avenue Montaigne, it can also boast more unique shopping experiences thanks to its line-up of exclusive events. Whether you’re in the market for an outstanding piece of contemporary art, or an additional feature for a vintage car, Paris can offer the perfect day out during October. Find out more about two of its leading autumn events and start planning your perfect break at the five-star Hotel de Vigny.

Automédon

Paris Le Bourget

8th-9th October 2016

Thousands of vintage car collectors and enthusiasts will be descending on the Parc des Expositions Paris Le Bourget this October for Automédon. Its 16th edition will offer the chance to explore the past, present and future of vintage cars and motorbikes via 300 indoor and outdoor exhibitors. 100 stands will be dedicated to specialised clubs, while a market will allow owners to find sought-after spare parts and seek advice from the likes of expert upholsters, painters and car body specialists. With a whole host of rare and legendary cars on show, this will be an unmissable event for any fan.

2016’s major attraction is set to be an exhibition entirely dedicated to the prestigious Monte-Carlo Rally. The competition stretches along the French Riviera and around Monaco, and has attracted some of the world’s leading drivers and car companies. A display of around 30 ‘victorious cars’ will explore its first 100 years, starting with the very first winner in 1911 - the Turcat-Méry 45 HP, driven by Henri Rougié at an average speed of 13.8km per hour. Other models of note will include the Amilcar 1.1L, Peugeot 205 T.16, Fiat 509 and Hotchkiss AM3, alongside a range of Citroën cars driven by Sébastien Loeb, including the Xsara WRC Gauloise from 2006.

Limited edition 2CV models will also be on show in a tribute to Serge Gévin, who relaunched the quintessential French design in the 1970s, while the event’s 7th Motorama will explore the history of Italian motorbikes via rare and award-winning designs by the likes of Ducati. Those venturing outside will see owners showcasing their own cars, alongside two new additions to the event; one dedicated to commercial vehicles with a focus on Bernard lorries, while the second will be a display of approximately 15 vintage caravans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Rétro Camping Club de France. With the chance to see exhibits, speak to specialists, discover trends and enhance your own collection, Automédon will provide an inspiring day out, located just under an hour from Hotel de Vigny.

Asia Now

9 Avenue Hoche

20th–23rd October 2016

Art fans will be in for a treat this October. The 2nd edition of Paris’ Asian Art Fair, Asia Now, will be coinciding with the 43rd edition of Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain; offering the chance to browse and buy an array of works by some of the world’s leading artists over four inspiring days. Described as the ‘boutique art fair’, Asia Now will be presenting works by both established and upcoming Asian artists in the impressive surroundings of a Haussmannian building on Avenue Hoche. With video works, sculpture, paintings, installation pieces and photography on offer from 34 galleries, this will be the ideal event for those interested in investing or simply admiring leading contemporary artworks.

Of the many artists with work on show at the event, atleast three have links to the prestigious Venice Biennale. The Sundaram Tagore Gallery will be presenting work by Tayeba Begum Lipi, who represented Bangladesh during the 2015 event, while the 313 Art Project will be showcasing a film series called ‘Made In’ by Lee Wan who will be representing South Korea next year. Takahiro Iwasaki, whose work will be displayed by Tokyo’s URANO gallery, has been nominated to represent Japan in 2017, while Galerie Paris-Beijing will be exhibiting an installation of colour-coordinated objects by Li Jinghu, who is taking part in this year’s Gwangju Biennale. Other works not-to-be-missed will include Li Wei’s ‘A Little Boy’; an installation piece depicting a blonde haired boy and white Bichon Frise dog made from silica gel, hair and oil paint, alongside a five minute video called ‘Please Return to Busan Port’ by Ayoung Kim, who has been an artist-in-residence at the Palais de Tokyo this year.

Alongside a display of works by artists hailing from 13 Asian territories including Japan, China, Singapore, Vietnam, Tibet and Cambodia, there’ll also be a variety of special projects to see. ‘Light is More’ will form part of an on-going collaboration between Shang Xia and Christie’s that showcases 12 pieces of Chinese contemporary design created by the former, a leading brand of the Hermès Group. A group of 10 artists will be involved in a Women’s Independence Art Show, while Karen Levy’s ‘My Video Playlist’ will offer the chance to watch around 20 videos by artists that have exhibited in the likes of MoMA, the Centre Pompidou and the Metropolitan Museum. Located just a six minute walk from Hotel de Vigny, this exclusive event will offer fascinating insight and investment opportunities to any art fan visiting Paris this October.

Whether your interest lies in vintage cars or contemporary art, there’ll be the ideal event to attend during a five-star stay in Paris this autumn.