Paweł Kuligowski
Art Paris 2026: BNP Paribas and Her Art Prize Announced
April 15, 2026
The 26th edition of Art Paris at the Grand Palais, which concluded on April 12, 2026, confirmed the event's status as a key platform for the French art scene. This year's edition, organized around the theme "Babel – Art and Language in France," brought together a wide range of galleries, curators, and collectors. A highlight of the program was the announcement of the winners of two prestigious awards: the BNP Paribas Banque Privée Prize and the Her Art Prize, which highlight the diversity and innovation of contemporary artistic practices.
Sara Ouhaddou wins the third edition of the BNP Paribas Banque Privée Award
The BNP Paribas Banque Privée – A Focus on the French Scene Prize, worth €40,000, was awarded to Sara Ouhaddou, represented by Galerie Polaris. The organizers and founder of the prize emphasize that this distinction recognizes the careers of living artists working in France and supports their further development. The winner was selected from among 16 nominees selected by guest curator Loïc Le Gall as part of a thematic section exploring the relationship between art and language.
According to the curatorial statement, Sara Ouhaddou, a French-Moroccan artist born in 1986, in her work "explores language as a system of signs embedded in cultural, social, and political histories that often lie at the margins of dominant narratives." Using media such as ceramics, sculpture, installation, and drawing, the artist examines the flow of artisanal traditions and their transformation in a contemporary visual context. The jury, chaired by Fabrice Bagne, praised Ouhaddou's precision in combining traditional techniques with abstract form, lending them a new, critical meaning.
Elsa Sahal receives Her Art Prize 2026 distinction
The second major event of the fair was the presentation of the Her Art Prize, initiated by Marie Claire magazine in collaboration with Maison Boucheron. This year's winner was Elsa Sahal, represented by Galerie Papillon. The prize, which includes a €30,000 cash prize and an extensive promotional campaign, "recognizes the career of an exceptional artist and a body of work that pushes boundaries.".
Elsa Sahal, a 2000 graduate of the Beaux-Arts de Paris, has made ceramics her primary medium. The official announcement emphasized that the artist "blurs the boundaries between the organic, the botanical, and the human." Her sculptures, often described as corporeal and imbued with humor, engage in dialogue with issues of female subjectivity and the deconstruction of gender stereotypes. The jury, chaired by actress and artist Louise Bourgoin, recognized Sahal for her bold approach to materiality and her pioneering role in the revival of contemporary ceramics.
The mechanism of operation and the role of artistic awards
Analyzing the structure of both awards, one can discern their role as "career accelerators." This mechanism is based not solely on financial support, but on building the visibility of artists at a key point in their careers. These awards strengthen the position of the galleries representing the winners, facilitating their access to the international art scene. By promoting the work of women and artists who explore the complexities of language, Art Paris 2026 fulfills an educational mission and promotes an inclusive approach to cultural heritage.
Information about the main theme and jury
The theme, "Babel – Art and Language in France," presented works that treat writing, symbols, and code as autonomous forms of expression. Curator Loïc Le Gall, director of the Passerelle Centre for Contemporary Art in Brest, invited artists whose practice sheds new light on communication in the age of globalization.
The juries for both awards included distinguished figures from the cultural world, including Alice Diop, Raphaël Haroche, Michèle Lamy, and directors of leading art institutions. Their selection confirms that Art Paris remains a place where the commercial aspect of the fair meets profound substantive reflection on the state of contemporary art.
Press contact:
- Art Paris (Armance Communication): artparis@armance.co
- BNP Paribas: pauline.lazarus@bnpparibas.com
- Maison Boucheron: service.presse@boucheron.com
