Alice Diop to Curate Miu Miu's 2026 Art Basel Paris Show

French filmmaker Alice Diop has been selected to curate Miu Miu's 2026 commission for the Art Basel Paris Public Program, a significant role that will feature her first-ever exhibition. Titled "Geste de Consolation (Gesture of Consolation)," the exhibition is scheduled to premiere during the Art Basel Paris fair in October. This project is described as a "celebratory chorus of Black creativity" and will transform the Palais d’Iéna, a venue also used by Miu Miu for its fashion shows. The exhibition will encompass a diverse "montage" of artistic mediums, including film, photography, sculpture, poetry, dance, music, and performance art. Diop's work for this commission builds upon her previous contribution to Miu Miu Women's Tales in 2025, a short film titled "Fragments for Venus." Her upcoming exhibition delves into the historical representations of Black women and their impact on contemporary "politics of looking." Diop has curated a selection of works by artists who have profoundly influenced her creative process and artistic vision. These featured artists include South African photographer Zanele Muholi, Gee’s Bend quilter Mary Lee Bendolph, sculptor Simone Leigh, composer Angel Bat Dawid, and the all-woman jazz trio Sistazz of the Nitty-Gritty. Diop stated her intention for the curation to "center on acts of consolation conceived by Black women artists, each active in their own discipline, to repair the fetishizing gaze to which centuries of art history have confined us." The exhibition will be organized into four distinct environments. One of these will be a living room and library installation, featuring carpets designed with motifs by Mary Lee Bendolph and showcasing her personal favorite books. Another space will function as a screening room, presenting a compilation of archival film and image excerpts that have shaped Diop's perspective as a filmmaker. This collaboration marks the third Miu Miu-backed exhibition at the Art Basel Paris fair since the luxury fashion house and the art event established a public program partnership in 2024. Alice Diop is the third artist to be commissioned for this prestigious program, following previous collaborations that have highlighted contemporary artistic talent. The Art Basel Paris fair is a prominent international art exhibition that brings together galleries, collectors, and art enthusiasts from around the globe, providing a platform for established and emerging artists to showcase their work. Miu Miu, a luxury fashion brand known for its distinctive aesthetic and support of the arts, continues its commitment to fostering cultural dialogue through its partnership with Art Basel Paris.