When France lost its status as the center of the art world decades ago, it has never gained back its momentum until now. The contemporary art scene in France is making news and generating more interests with its efforts in promoting local talent.

According to Devorah Lauter from the LA Times, FIAC has been attracting increasing attention from around the world and a new wave of exhibition spaces have been more active in promoting young French artists.

Allegra Pesenti from the Hammer Museum’s Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts was impressed by exhibitions she recently saw during her visit.

“There were lots of openings in the same week, so lots of people meeting and interacting and exchanging of ideas,” she said. Her only caveat is that, “these are not visits that introduce me to Parisian and French artists, but they introduce me to a great scene.”

While some are optimistic about the future of France’s contemporary art scene, there are some that still doubt much will change.

For years, state institutions “had a tendency to prefer more intellectual artwork based on concepts, and this was done in detriment to other types of works,” notably painting, said Nathalie Heinich, art sociologist for the National Research Center for the Sciences in Paris.

Though the rebound of France’s contemporary art scene will take some time, it is on the right path especially with additional private support and funding that have been poured into promoting the local scene. Furthermore as Lauter points out:

“Years of relative international neglect for French art means more unknown talent for some traveling art lovers to discover.”

To read the full article by Devorah Lauter, please visit:www.latimes.com