About us - Art Plus

THE NEW RENDEZ-VOUS FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

Art+ Outstanding Art Fair ushers in a new era for contemporary art in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage. With 40 carefully selected galleries occupying 2,400 m² of exhibition space, the fair promises an exceptional diversity of works: painting, sculpture and original contemporary expressions.

Driven by a demanding curatorial approach and a strong editorial line, Art+ goes beyond the simple exhibition, offering an immersive and enriching experience. This event is a privileged meeting place for artists, gallery owners, collectors and art lovers, encouraging discoveries, exchanges and acquisitions.

A REINVENTED ARTISTIC HERITAGE

Art+ is a continuation of Art Touquet, an event that has marked the art scene for over 40 years. By reviving this tradition, the emblematic town of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage regains its status as an artistic and cultural crossroads.

At the crossroads of the expectations of established collectors and amateurs in search of new discoveries, Art+ aims to bring together generations and artistic sensibilities to write a new chapter in the history of contemporary art in the region.

CONGRESS CENTER

The Palais des Congrès at Le Touquet Paris-Plage: the ideal setting for ART+.

Located in the heart of the seaside resort of Le Touquet Paris-Plage, the Palais des Congrès enjoys a prestigious and easily accessible setting, popular with both national and international clientele. Its architecture, designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, blends the elegance of the 1930s with an assertive modernity, creating an atmosphere as refined as it is functional.

With more than 4,400 m² of modular space spread over several levels, the site offers a fluid flow of movement and a natural luminosity conducive to artistic discovery. The quality of the volumes, the sobriety of the lines and the versatility of the layouts create ideal conditions for a contemplative and demanding stroll.

As the cultural and event epicenter of the Côte d’Opale, the Palais des Congrès is the obvious place to host a high-level contemporary art event. It helps to promote ambitious programming, in a spirit of dialogue, aesthetics and encounters.

With this new location, ART+ affirms its positioning: offering an immersive experience where contemporary art dialogues with the elegance of an emblematic place.

GALA EVENING - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2025

Saturday evenings atART+ Outstanding Art Fair mark a special moment: an elegant break from the hustle and bustle of the fair.
At the Palais des Congrès in Le Touquet, the town’s emblematic venue, we invite you to a gala evening designed as a complete experience: musical, gastronomic and convivial.

More than just a side event, this evening is a natural extension of the ART+ spirit: open, refined, contemporary and accessible to those who bring today’s creation to life. Collectors, galleries, artists, partners, journalists, the curious and the enlightened… all are invited to share this momentous occasion in an exceptional setting.

AN EXCEPTIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MUSÉE DU TOUQUET PARIS-PLAGE - ÉDOUARD CHAMPION

One of Art+’s major assets is its collaboration with prestigious institutions, including the Musée du Touquet Paris-Plage. For this first edition, a new exhibition will be organized in tribute to the event’s patron, offering visitors a complementary and enriched perspective on the works and artists featured.

A RICH AND VARIED PROGRAM

In addition to the exhibitions, Art+ offers a dynamic program of conferences, round tables and exclusive meetings with major figures in the art market. These events will address contemporary issues such as market trends, collection enhancement and new artistic dynamics.

BENJAMIN MARTEL AND THE ICONE GROUP: EXPERTISE AT THE SERVICE OF THE ART MARKET

Art+ is the culmination of the ambitious vision of Benjamin Martel, founder of Groupe ICONE, renowned for its unwavering commitment to artists, collectors and institutions. Driven by the desire to redefine the contemporary art market, Benjamin Martel has adopted an innovative and demanding approach, combining passion, rigor and market intuition.

Since its creation, ICONE has established itself as a singular player on the art scene, combining the traditional know-how of art dealers with a contemporary, proactive strategy. The group stands out for its cutting-edge expertise, solid international network and personalized strategic support. It supports the emergence of new talent, accompanies established artists and responds to the expectations of collectors in search of rare, meaningful and valuable works.

In the space of just two years, ICONE has succeeded in establishing itself as a benchmark, thanks to a bold offer combining large-scale exhibitions, acquisition consultancy and customized scenography. The group also orchestrates international events, confirming its ability to reach far beyond France’s borders.

The creation of Art+, a new contemporary art fair, is fully in line with this dynamic. It testifies to Groupe ICONE’s determination to rethink traditional fair standards, by placing the artistic experience at the heart of the event. Art+ aims to showcase the artists and galleries who are shaping the future of the contemporary art scene, in an approach that is at once demanding, inclusive and visionary.

THE SELECTION COMMITTEE

Our selection committee brings together a panel of recognized experts from the world of contemporary art.
Their sharp eye and curatorial rigor will guarantee a rigorous and coherent selection of participating galleries, ensuring the artistic quality and relevance ofArt+ Outstanding Art Fair‘s programming.

BENJAMIN
MARTEL

Founder of Icone Groupe and Art+

CHRISTOPHE DELAVAULT

Exhibition curator

CÉDRIC BACQUEVILLE

Director, Galerie Bacqueville France

JEAN-BERNARD GRUBIS

Collector and patron

FRANCK LEMAITRE

Councillor responsible for culture at Le Touquet Paris-Plage

WHY CHOOSE THE ATLAS AS A SPONSOR FOR ART+ 2025?

A strong, symbolic and committed choice

The appointment of L’Atlas as patron of the first edition of ART+ is no mere ceremonial choice. It embodies an ambitious curatorial vision: that of a fair that takes a demanding look at the contemporary scene and asserts its role as a cultural player as much as a distribution platform.

A singular work, between writing and geometry

For over twenty years, L’Atlas, Jules Dedet has been building an immediately identifiable body of work, at the crossroads of coded language and urban calligraphy, mental cartography and geometric abstraction with an almost archaeological rigor
His approach questions our perception of reality, interrogates codes of reading, and invites us to reorient ourselves in a world saturated with images.

A natural fit with ART+'s mission

The world of L’Atlas echoes the DNA of our fair:

Opening up artistic practices
Building bridges between institutions and street expression
Promoting plural readings of the contemporary world

Like its works, ART+ seeks to redraw boundaries, to combine structure and spontaneity, order and chaos.

A unifying figure, between high standards and accessibility

Recognized on the international museum scene as well as in the field of urban art, L’Atlas embodies the dual legitimacy we’re looking for: a figure who is at once critical, accessible and inspiring.
His sponsorship gives ART+ an aesthetic and intellectual anchor, international legitimacy and a strong point of reference for partner artists, collectors and institutions.

A founding impulse

Far from being a symbolic gesture, this sponsorship is a commitment. It places ART+ in a demanding dialogue with contemporary art issues: hybridization of languages, reconfiguration of formats, renewal of audiences.
We are proud and honored to be able to count on the presence of L’Atlas to accompany this first edition. We want it to be bold, sustainable and resolutely forward-looking.