Big Spaces for Big Art at the Edges of Paris PARIS - On the Île Seguin, construction of the 30,000 square meter R4 arts complex designed by Jean Nouvel has yet to begin - but the space is already up and running. From Oct. 15 to 21, the site, which is more than 7 acres, will become the FIAC art fair's third external site, alongside the Tuileries and the Jardin des Plantes. Fifteen galleries, from major dealers including Sadie Coles HQ and Marian Goodman to edgier ones like Peres Projects of Berlin and Balice Hertling of Paris, will show works by 17 artists, among them Spartacus Chetwynd, Annette Messager and Mai-Thu Perret. R4 is among several new art sites setting up shop at the edges of Paris. Two major galleries are also opening on Oct. 15: Gagosian and Ropac, each of which have expansive spaces for monumental art. The first R4 event was held in July, with commissioned works by Oscar Tuazon, Nicolas Party and Reto Pulfer. "It was a bit provocative in terms of French habits," said Nelly Wenger, who is piloting the project started by the Swiss arts logistics entrepreneur Yves Bouvier and has decided to present artistic initiatives first. We will work in the field, then on the construction site and finally, inside the building when it's ready. If we do it well, the official inauguration of the R4 will then be a nonevent," said Ms. Wenger. The name a reference to the Renault 4L, an acknowledgment of the carmaker's importance for the Île Seguin, where its factory was a symbol of French industrial productivity and labor-union strength until it closed in 1992. The factory buildings were finally torn down between 2004 and 2005. The R4 is slated become an art-world microcosm of sorts, with artists' studios, gallery spaces, production facilities and exhibition halls. In its format, the R4 is similar to director Luc Besson's Cité européenne du cinéma, which opened this month in a former power plant in Saint-Denis, with the ambition to become a Hollywood-like, one-stop shop for cinematic production. Music and dance, lectures and conferences will also be offered as part of the R4's mandate to serve a local population that has in the past resisted urban planning and development on the Île Seguin. Former arts projects have failed for various reasons: In 2005, the billionaire François Pinault's cited administrative delays and complexities as he abandoned attempts to build a Tadao Ando-designed contemporary art museum on the island and took his art collection to Venice instead. A Venetian vibe will inhabit the R4's roof garden, which is inspired by the Giardini, the site of the Venice Biennale. Work produced on site for the biennale could be wheeled onto barges and shipped to Italy, its plans suggest. A grand hall will provide space for monumental art. The development and construction budget is estimated to run between 50 million and 100 million euros. The actual physical complex is due to open in 2016.