#Paris #France #Art Market #Xie Lei #Marcel Duchamp Prize

Celebrating Xie Lei: Winner of the 2025 Marcel Duchamp Prize

On October 23, 2025, the prestigious Marcel Duchamp Prize was awarded to Xie Lei at the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. This marked the 25th edition of an award designed to promote and celebrate contemporary French art. Xie Lei emerged victorious from a shortlist that featured four talented artists, each of whom showcases the vitality and diversity of the current French art scene.

The Marcel Duchamp Prize, initiated by the ADIAF (Association for the International Dissemination of French Art), has become a significant marker of contemporary artistic achievement since its inception 25 years ago. Gilles Fuchs, the founder, was motivated by a desire to address the declining international reputation of French artists in the 1990s. This award aims to enhance the representation and promotion of French art during challenging times for the contemporary art market.

Xie Lei's works resonate deeply within this objective, as they explore the intriguing intersection of dreams and reality, inviting viewers to slow down their visual consumption and reconnect with the emotional force of images. Thierry Ehrmann, the founder of Artprice by Artmarket, praised the creativity and symbolic significance epitomized by this year's winning entry and congratulated Xie Lei along with finalists Bianca Bondi, Eva Nielsen, and Lionel Sabatté, each representing the richness of contemporary French artistry.

The award offers not only a substantial financial grant of €35,000, but also includes the support of museums to enhance the winner's international visibility. This encouragement is crucial, as it allows Xie Lei and his fellow finalists to flourish within the context of the global art market.

In this year's ceremony, four finalists were selected, each presenting unique perspectives rooted in their experiences. For instance, Bianca Bondi, born in Johannesburg, creates installations that hover between memory and imagination, while Eva Nielsen utilizes layering techniques in her paintings to evoke fragmented landscapes that dissolve the essence of memory within their textured surfaces. Lionel Sabatté engages with material remnants to evoke memories of place, transforming discarded elements into evocative artworks.

Xie Lei's paintings, marked by introspection, draw influences from literary and cinematic material, allowing a fluid movement between dreams and reality as well. His choice of themes interrupts the fast-paced nature of contemporary art, offering viewers moments of reflection and deep thought.

This year's awards ceremony also represented a shift in location; the exhibition of nominated artists took place at the Musée d'Art Moderne instead of the traditional Centre Pompidou, currently undergoing renovations. This change allowed for a fresh reevaluation of the exhibition's concept and design, aiming to present the artists' works in a coherent journey through their diverse proposals.

Claude Bonnin, President of ADIAF, expressed his enthusiasm regarding the quality of the exhibition, highlighting the collaboration between the state, the city of Paris, and ADIAF to ensure that French artists receive the attention they deserve, both within France and internationally.

With numerous visits to artist studios and an active engagement from over 300 committed art collectors, the ADIAF continues to play a crucial role in fostering the dynamic evolution of the French art scene. This year, the award not only celebrates artistic achievements but also emphasizes the importance of global perspectives, allowing the French art community to maintain its unique identity while engaging with the world at large.

As Paris establishes itself as a vibrant marketplace for contemporary art, the significance of the Marcel Duchamp Prize becomes increasingly evident, contributing to a greater understanding and appreciation of the richness of French artistry.

The exhibition featuring all four nominated artists will remain open to the public free of charge until February 22, 2026. This event undoubtedly promises to further highlight the talents and contributions of this vibrant art community, reaffirming Paris's role as a hub for innovation and creativity on the international art stage.