It was a great pleasure to be back for Paris Photo 2025. It’s a delight to see great photography in such an iconic space as the Grand Palais, which has expanded, following its renovation, to over 21,000 square metres to offer an even more immersive experience for photography enthusiasts from around the world. I had a ‘where do I start’ moment when I entered this legendary building (the fair was hosting a record 179 galleries from 33 countries and 41 exhibitors in the book sector). In these geopolitically uncertain times and given the participation costs, it was no surprise that the fair felt a little ‘risk-averse’ and it was the galleries with renowned names and vintage prints which reported positive sales. I think it is important that art fairs should try to keep the costs down for galleries so that they are prepared to take more risk and show a more adventurous presentation. Upon arrival, I came face to face with the Poggi gallery’s amazing and powerful installation by Sophie Ristelhueber, the French photographer who won the prestigious Hasselblad Award in 2025. It is always interesting to see the overall direction in which photography is moving these days, and especially work by the younger generation of photo­graphers. Yes, Paris Photo is still the most important photography art fair but in some ways I would prefer the gigantic volume of images to be a little more limited in order to offer the visitor a way to connect more deeply emotionally with the photography on offer.