Paris has barely caught its breath after Art Basel Paris at the Grand Palais last week – another tidal wave of art, collectors, parties and press – and yet here we are again, heading back under the vaulted glass roof. One might wonder: with all this art, do we really need more?
But Paris Photo is different. It has a gravitational pull, a devotion to a single medium that feels almost intimate in comparison. Even as our contemporary understanding of “image-based art” goes beyond the classical photography, the fair invites you into worlds that feel almost tangible – perhaps because photography still carries a certain granularity, a texture that lingers, even in digital form.
France, of course, has a long relationship with the photographic image. The world’s first surviving photograph was taken here by Nicéphore Niépce nearly two centuries ago. And the country continues to nurture the medium through festivals like Les Rencontres d’Arles, La Gacilly Photo Festival, and Visa pour l’Image in Perpignan. Paris Photo, now 27 years strong, stands at the commercial center of this ecosystem – one of the world’s leading photography fairs.
This year, one of its most distinctive features is the Digital Sector and made Paris Photo the first major European fair to truly dive into the worlds of algorithms, networks, and machine vision – not as novelties, but as integral to how images are made and circulated today.
Across its four days, the Conversations program gathers artists, critics, thinkers and makers. Topics range widely—What is a feminist picture?, Art, AI and Agency in Flux, When Fashion Becomes Art. It’s the kind of programming that nudges a commercial fair into something more like a community, a reflection on the urgencies of our time.
And there is, of course, the scale: 183 galleries, 41 publishers, 59 first-time participants – a constellation of voices. The fair’s curatorial thread for 2025 emphasises kinship and relationships, and the dialogue between historical photography and contemporary approaches. Another major theme circles technology once more, especially the idea of “AI agents as artists,” echoing throughout the Conversations program.
But a trip to Paris isn’t just a fair – it’s the city itself. So we have collected a small list of art, design, and food to frame your visit and experience beyond the fair.
ART:
Bourse de Commerce
Minimal: When Art Goes to the Essential
8 October 2025 – 18 January 2026
Fondation Cartier
Exposition Générale
25 October 2025 – 23 August 2026
Nearly 600 works by around 100 artists in their new Palais-Royal space.
Lafayette Anticipations
Steffani Jemison — Clear Skies / Troubled Waters
22 October 2025 – 8 February 2026
Meriem Bennani — Sole Crushing
22 October 2025 – 8 February 2026
Palais de Tokyo
Echo Delay Reverb: American Art, French Thought
22 October 2025 – 15 February 2026
FOOD:
Café Les Deux Gares
1 Rue des Deux Gares, 75010 Paris
A must-visit modern French bistro—seasonal, inventive dishes in a relaxed café-bistrot spirit.
Café Fleur
38 Avenue de Suffren, 75015 Paris
Yes, it’s a familiar name, but still a beloved classic. Traditional French comfort in a bright, floral setting.
Derrière
69 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris
Classic and contemporary French cuisine served in a quirky, apartment-like interior (don’t miss the hidden door).
DESIGN / BOOKS
Marché d’Aligre Paris is known for its antique markets—places where you can stumble upon objects from other lives, alongside fresh produce and the occasional perfect croissant. A short walk from Place de la Bastille takes you to Rue d’Aligre, home to one of the city’s best food and flea markets. Wander, browse, nibble.
After 8 Books An independent bookstore and publisher that feels like a gathering of contemporary thinkers and artists in printed form. Their selection—artists’ books, essays, monographs, zines—leans toward the rare and the rigorously curated. The kind of place where you find something you didn’t know you were looking for.
HIS Paris — Japanese Concept Store A newly opened concept store near Hôtel de Ville, designed by Goliath Dyèvre. Think of it as a miniature journey through Japan—regional gourmet products, beautifully crafted household objects, calligraphy tools, books, artisanal finds, and a concierge service for planning real-world trips to Japan.
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*all images provided by Paris Photo, 2025