Alexandra Mas, K2-18b – Hope, 130cm x 97cm
At ART CAPITAL 2025, the Grand Palais in Paris became the stage for an electrifying dialogue between artists and the public. Within the Salon Comparaisons, the newly established Abstract Expressionist Group, led by Alexandra Mas, brought together 19 international artists in a powerful and immersive showcase of contemporary abstraction.
Tracing the Roots of Abstract Expressionism
The Abstract Expressionist movement was deeply influenced by Surrealism, which championed spontaneity and the subconscious in artistic creation. The drip-painting technique of Jackson Pollock, for instance, can be traced back to the experimental methods of André Masson, Max Ernst, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Recent research highlights the crucial role of Wolfgang Paalen, whose DYN journal merged quantum mechanics with Indigenous artistic traditions, shaping the visions of Pollock, Rothko, and Barnett Newman. His 1943 essay, Totem Art, laid the groundwork for the movement’s spiritual and primal approach to abstraction.
Beyond Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism absorbed the emotional intensity and near-mystical commitment of German Expressionism. Wassily Kandinsky, in his seminal work Concerning the Spiritual in Art (1912), theorized an abstraction deeply imbued with meaning. Paul Klee, similarly, connected music, painting, and raw emotion in a radical artistic language.
Haralampi G. Oroschakoff, Alright Mama Dada, 2022, 121cm x 81cm
Mistero Notturno, Sergio Boldrin
Further influences came from the Bauhaus and Futurism, shaping the movement’s formal explorations. Figures such as Mark Tobey, with his white writing compositions, anticipated the gestural dynamism that would define Abstract Expressionism. Despite their stylistic diversity, artists like Pollock, de Kooning, and Rothko shared a common vision: a tension between spontaneous expression and underlying structure.
While often perceived as an instinctive explosion, Abstract Expressionism was in fact meticulously orchestrated, particularly due to the monumental scales on which its leading figures worked. Like the German Expressionists and Russian avant-garde, these artists used abstraction to explore psychological and spiritual depths, pushing beyond the limits of traditional representation.
A Bold and Dynamic Collective
Under Alexandra Mas’ direction, the Abstract Expressionist Group at Salon Comparaisons presented a curated selection of works by:
- Sergio Boldrin
- Francesca Busca
- Kimberly Dawnly
- Bernard Garo
- Celia Gouveia
- Peter Hopkins
- Jill Krutick
- Adelaïde Leferme
- Hanna Mare
- Alexandra Mas
- Sarah Olson
- Haralampi G. Oroschakoff
- François Pohu Lefevre
- Dodi Reifenberg
- Arabella Ross
- Annemarie Ryan
- Ennio Spadini
- Natalie Vassil
- Annette Werndl
Peter P. Hopkins, Psychedelic Flag II , 2020, 70cm x100cm
The exhibition was met with enthusiastic acclaim, both from the Salon’s directors and the public. The elegant and fluid scenography allowed each artist’s work to speak independently, while together, they formed a compelling and cohesive narrative of contemporary abstraction. This collective reaffirmed that Abstract Expressionism, far from being a historical movement of the past, remains a vital force in contemporary art, continuously evolving and pushing new boundaries.
