A unique art fair dedicated to Middle Eastern and North African art
From October 25 to 27, 2025, Menart Fair celebrates its 6th edition at Galerie Joseph-Turenne in Paris. As the only European art fair exclusively dedicated to modern and contemporary art from the MENA region (Middle East & North Africa), it has become a must-attend event during Paris Art Week, attracting collectors, institutions, and art lovers from across the globe.
With around thirty galleries representing a dozen countries, the fair offers a carefully curated panorama of today’s most exciting artistic voices from the MENA region.
2025 Theme: The Apology of Softness
Following a bold 2024 edition dedicated to women artists, Menart Fair highlights in 2025 a theme both poetic and political: softness.
In times of conflict and global tension, softness emerges not as fragility but as a form of resistance, resilience, and subtle power. Through painting, sculpture, photography, and performance, the selected artists embody this paradoxical strength.
Artists and Galleries to Discover
Leily Derakhshani – Echoes on the Unseen (Azad Gallery, Iran)
This large abstract painting unfolds in fluid, meditative shades. Softness emerges as an invisible breath, suspended between presence and erasure.
Myriam Schahabian – The Beggar and the Prince (Yvonne Hohner Contemporary, Germany)
A glazed stoneware sculpture, the work explores human vulnerability. Softness is embodied in this embraced fragility, revealing a quiet strength.
Kevork Mourad – The Woven Columns (Galerie Tanit, Lebanon/Germany)
Between painting and performance, Mourad creates a fluid visual universe, rhythmical like a musical score. Here, softness is movement, gesture, and breath.
Najat Makki – Untitled (Forat Gallery, Bahrain)
Her small-scale works in pastel colors and delicate textures convey a feminine and committed sensibility. Here, softness becomes a tool of resistance.
Johanne Allard – Circling Drones (Revealing Sector, Lebanon)
Her embroideries on paper, evoking war, transform pain into a reparative gesture. Softness emerges in the slow rhythm of the needle, stitching together History’s wounds.
Younès Ben Slimane – We knew how beautiful they were, these islands (Project Room, Tunisia)
A contemplative video where light and time become raw materials. Softness imposes itself as both a sensory and spiritual experience.
Emerging voices: Revealing Sector and Project Room
Beyond established names, Menart Fair continues to foster discovery:
- The Revealing Sector showcases rising talents, such as Johanne Allard, whose embroidered sculptures reflect the scars of war.
- The Project Room, in collaboration with Menart Friends, presents Le temps creuse même le marbre, a focus on contemporary Tunisian photography that bridges memory, archives, and social reflection.
A human-scale fair with international resonance
Unlike mega-fairs, Menart Fair maintains a human dimension that favors dialogue and meaningful encounters. More than a marketplace, it is a cultural bridge connecting Europe with the Middle East and North Africa, amplifying the voices of artists often underrepresented in the Western art scene.
📍 Practical Information
- Dates: October 25 – 27, 2025
- Location: Galerie Joseph-Turenne, 116 rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris
- VIP Preview: Friday, October 24
- Official website: menart-fair.com
FAQ – Menart Fair 2025
Q: What is Menart Fair?
Menart Fair is Europe’s only contemporary art fair exclusively dedicated to artists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It brings together leading galleries, collectors, and art lovers in Paris for a unique celebration of creativity.
Q: When does Menart Fair 2025 take place?
From October 25 to 27, 2025, at the heart of Paris.
Q: What is the 2025 theme?
The 2025 edition is built around the theme “In Praise of Softness”, a curatorial thread running through exhibitions, performances, and installations.
Q: Which artists should I not miss?
Among this year’s highlights: Leily Derakhshani, Myriam Schahabian, Kevork Mourad, Najat Makki, Johanne Allard, and Younès Ben Slimane, whose works embody the fair’s theme with powerful sensitivity.
Q: Why should I visit Menart Fair?
Because Menart Fair offers more than an exhibition: it’s an immersive experience of contemporary MENA art, where visitors can discover new talents, meet galleries, and engage in a warm and accessible atmosphere.