Lille Art Up!

Lille Art Up!: The benchmark contemporary art fair outside Paris

Lille Art Up! was born in 2008, initially under the name Lille Art Fair, from a co-production between Lille Grand Palais and StrasbourgEvénements. The first edition was launched by Olivier Billiard as artistic director and Dénia Ben El Habbes Bahadir as project director. In a few years, the fair established itself as the first contemporary art fair in France outside of Paris.

18,000 m² of contemporary art

Each year in March, Lille Grand Palais transforms into a vast space dedicated to contemporary art. Across 18,000 m², nearly a hundred galleries, both French and international, present the works of over 400 artists. The fair covers all disciplines of contemporary art: painting, sculpture, photography, installation, digital art, street art, design, and multimedia works.

A constantly growing audience

Since its creation, Lille Art Up! has continued to grow. The fourth edition in 2011 already welcomed over 80 gallerists across 12,000 m² and 15,000 visitors. Renamed Art Up! in 2013, the fair reached 28,000 visitors in 2014. Today, around 30,000 visitors flock to the event over its four days, making Lille Art Up! one of the major events in the art market in France.

Accessibility and Discovery

One of the founding principles of Lille Art Up! is accessibility. The fair aims to be a place of discovery open to everyone, from seasoned collectors to the curious wishing to be introduced to contemporary art. Meetings with artists, guided tours, conferences, and partnerships with regional museums and art schools enrich the visitor experience.

A Network of Galleries and Partners

Lille Art Up! brings together galleries from Lille, the Hauts-de-France region, and all of France, as well as international galleries. Partnerships with regional museums, Fine Arts schools, and art centers strengthen the fair's cultural roots in the territory.