Paris art exhibitions: a guide to exhibitions this weekend

Paris, it seems, is experiencing something of an art Renaissance, no thanks due to the global popularity of Netflix's Emily in Paris. 

Long the epicentre of the 20th-century art scene, the so-called ‘city of art’ served as a cultivator of radical art – including the impressionists, surrealists, and dadaists, and remains home to some of the world’s most lauded museums and art schools. Following the recent Paris+, par Art Basel, and Paris Photo, there are still plenty of exhibitions and events to see around town. Explore our highlights:

Fabrice Hyber
Fondation Cartier
Until 30 April 2023

‘The Valley’ at Fondation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain is a monographic collection of French artist Fabrice Hyber’s paintings, in which visitors can explore over 60 pieces, 15 of which were made for the exhibition. The exhibition’s layout is inspired by a school classroom, reflecting Hyber’s aim to teach as well as to show. This socially intriguing arrangement invites us to witness the artist’s thought processes and his artistic range. 

Writer: Saskia Koopman

fondationcartier.com

‘Habibi, the revolutions of love’
Arab World Institute
Until 19 February 

The group show ‘Habibi’ presents a survey of recent contemporary art exploring LGBTQIA+ identities. The featured artists, who all come from Arabic countries and the Arab diaspora, offer work that expresses gender identity and sexuality in a world where their community hasn’t always been accepted, and in many cases, actively rejected. The show is an exploration of emotions, memories and senses of self paired with a sense of liberty towards the human body and self-acceptance towards their difference.

Writer: Saskia Koopman

imarabe.org

Hyperrealism: This is not a body
Until 5 March 2023
Musée Maillol

In this show at Musée Maillol, visitors can submerge themselves in the eerie world of hyperrealism, a movement that began in 1960s America. The show presents works from a range of international contemporary artists, including Maurizio Cattelan, Berlinde De Bruyckere and Ron Mueck. These meticulous attempts to depict nature lead viewers into a world of uncanny human representation, which is at once captivating and uncanny. 

Writer: Saskia Koopman

museemaillol.com

Mickalene Thomas: ‘Avec Monet’
Until 6 February 2023
Musée de l'Orangerie

This exhibition presents American artist Mickalene Thomas’s pieces from the past 20 years, and highlights work created during her 2011 residency in Monet’s home in Giverny, France. We see imagery of Monet’s home,, as well as three new large-scale collages and an immersive installation. Her work expresses the intertwining of art history with social issues of gender and race. Here, Black erotica, Black sexuality, and Black queer aesthetics are infused with joy and depth of thought. 

Writer: Saskia Koopman

musee-orangerie.fr

Anri Sala: ‘Time No Longer’ Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection Until 16 January 2023

Previously shown at the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern in Houston, Albanian artist Anri Sala presents ‘Time No Longer’ for the second time. A surreal sound and video installation loops timelessly, accompanied by enchanting music. The show layers influences from space travel, the holocaust and alternate dimensions, as well as a selection of Sala’s engravings, prints and ink drawings to reflect on the concepts of time, nature and nation.

pinaultcollection.com

‘Monet-Mitchell’ and the ‘Joan Mitchell Retrospective’ Foundation Louis Vuitton Until 27 February 2023

The Louis Vuitton Foundation introduces the work of Claude Monet and Joan Mitchell’s observations of the natural world, placing them in conversation with one another. Monet’s intricate and dream-like garden scapes sit alongside Mitchell’s frantic observations of colour, each marking an era of abstract expressionism.

fondationlouisvuitton.fr