Asia Now 2026: IESA students at the heart of the fair

From 20 to 24 October 2026, students from IESA arts&culture joined the teams of Asia Now, the Asian contemporary art fair held at the Monnaie de Paris. For five days, they experienced from the inside one of the most distinctive events of Paris Art Week, working as gallery or curatorial assistants, or on installation and art handling.

What is Asia Now?

Founded in 2015 by Alexandra Fain, a specialist in the Asian art scene, Asia Now is presented as the only fair in Europe dedicated to artists from across Asia and its diasporas, both historical and emerging. Since 2022, it has been held in the salons of the Monnaie de Paris, on the quai de Conti, one of France’s oldest institutions.

For its 12th edition, the fair brought together several dozen galleries from around the world, alongside curators, collectors, institutions and foundations. More than a marketplace, Asia Now sees itself as a platform for exchange between Asia and the international art scene, with a programme that extends well beyond the booths:

  • The Third Space, a new section featuring installations, videos and works throughout the corridors and vestibules of the Monnaie de Paris;
  • Cinema NOW, a programme dedicated to the moving image;
  • A presentation on the Mongolian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale;
  • A project by Indonesian curator Alia Swastika, director of the Biennale Jogja.

The fair takes place every year during Art Week, when Paris welcomes collectors and professionals from all over the world, making it a prime vantage point on the international art market.

Our students behind the scenes

[30] IESA students from the [Bachelor in Art Market, Bachelor in Arts Management / Master’s in International Contemporary Art Market / Master’s in Cultural Mediation / MBA…] programmes took part in the fair as volunteers.

Their missions included [to be adjusted according to actual missions]:

  • receiving and installing artworks;
  • welcoming and guiding visitors through the spaces of the Monnaie de Paris;
  • supporting the organising teams during the preview and professional evenings;
  • assisting galleries and artists on their booths;
  • providing logistical support during performances, screenings and talks.

Why it’s such a valuable experience for our students

Seeing the art market in action. In just a few days, a fair condenses everything our students learn in class: the role of galleries, relationships with collectors, negotiation, the display of artworks. Being on site means observing these mechanisms in real time.

Building a network. Gallerists, curators, art advisors, organising teams: for five days, volunteers work alongside professionals who are hard to meet otherwise. These encounters often lead to internships, work-study placements or first jobs.

Discovering a fast-growing scene. Asian art scenes are taking an increasingly prominent place on the global stage. Discovering galleries from Seoul, Tokyo, Jakarta or Bangkok, and artists still rarely shown in Europe, broadens the perspective of our future professionals.

Understanding how a cultural event is run. Visitor reception, crowd management, coordination with exhibitors, artwork security: a fair is also a complex production project. A directly useful experience for students aiming for careers in events, cultural mediation or arts administration.

Practising English in a professional setting. At such an international fair, English is the everyday working language with exhibitors and a large share of visitors.

Hands-on learning

This participation reflects the conviction that has guided IESA arts&culture since its founding: the professions of art and culture are best learned alongside professionals, in the places where they are practised. We warmly thank the Asia Now teams for their welcome and congratulate our students on their commitment.