That sudden crispness and hint of pumpkin spice in the air can only mean one thing: another season of Paris arts and culture has arrived. This fall and winter, discover or rediscover the work of bold women, colorful iconoclasts, and masters of modernism. Don’t forget to check the museum website before you go for opening times and booking information.
ENGAGING FIGURES
Alice Neel. An Engaged Eye.
Postponed due the pandemic, this retrospective of pioneering American painter Alice Neel finally arrives at the Pompidou Center. Highlighting Neel’s intersectional approach, which explores issues of class and gender, the exhibit features 75 paintings and drawings in which the artist depicts the lives of those often marginalized or ignored, bucking the trends of abstraction and pop art for a figurative style uniquely her own.
Where: Centre Pompidou, Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris
When: Through January 16, 2023
Parisian Women. The fight for emancipation (1789-2000)
Communards, suffragists, resistance fighters, female politicians, artists and intellectuals are represented at this exhibit which offers a fascinating overview of the history of feminism in Paris. Key figures and issues—from civil rights to reproductive freedom—are memorialized through paintings, sculptures, photographs, films, posters and more, attesting to the variety and tenacity of engaged Parisian women.
Where: Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris, 23, rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris
When: Through January 29, 2023
SINGULAR FASHION
Shocking ! The Surrealist Worlds of Elsa Schiaparelli
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris celebrates the bold, poetic and sometimes eccentric designs of Italian couturière Elsa Schiaparelli, whose work was inspired by the Parisian avant-garde of the 20s and 30s and who in turn inspired other designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix. Over 200 outfits and accessories are displayed alongside paintings, sculptures, jewelry, perfumes, ceramics, posters, and photographs taken by Schiaparelli friends and contemporaries, Man Ray, Salvador Dalí, and Jean Cocteau.
Where: The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
When: Through January 22, 2023
Frida Kahlo, Beyond Appearances
Paris’ newly renovated fashion museum invites visitors to explore the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in an exhibit featuring more than 200 objects from the Casa Azul, the house where she was born and lived with her husband, muralist Diego Rivera. While the exhibit includes some examples of Kahlo’s art, the emphasis is on the way she used clothing and accessories inspired by traditional and colorful Tehuana dress to construct her identity and accommodate her disability. Until December, the exhibit is complemented by a capsule collection of contemporary fashion from designers such Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Karl Lagerfeld who used Kahlo’s unique style as inspiration.
Where Palais Galliera, 10 avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, 75116 Paris
When: Through March 5, 2023
THE NATURE OF THINGS
Monet – Mitchell
This unusual double exhibit creates a “dialogue” between two exceptional artists, Claude Monet (1840-1926) and Joan Mitchell (1925-1992). Although their lives barely overlapped and their styles were visibly different, both were inspired by their natural surroundings and the feelings they provoked, and Mitchell even lived for a time in the same French village that Monet did. Through some 60 emblematic works, the exhibit offers an enticing journey punctuated by striking visual and thematic parallels.
Where: Fondation Louis Vuitton, Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Bois de Boulogne, 75116 Paris
When: Through February 27, 2023
Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899)
Celebrating the bicentenary of her birth, this retrospective honors the artist Rosa Bonheur, known as an icon of women’s emancipation and the first woman artist to receive the prestigious Légion d’honneur. Rediscover Bonheur’s rich body of work through 200 paintings graphic arts, sculptures, and photographs, which highlight her dedication to expressing the vitality and “soul” of animals and the natural world.
Where: Musée d’Orsay, 1, rue de la Légion d’Honneur 75007 Paris
When: Through January 15, 2023
SHADES OF MODERNISM
Edvard Munch. A Poem of Life, Love and Death
In addition to the Rosa Bonheur exhibit, the Musée d’Orsay is offering another in-depth retrospective, this one devoted to famous Norwegian painter Edvard Munch. Best known for the many variations of his painting “The Scream,” Munch’s rich, complex body of work occupies a pivotal place in artistic modernity, building a bridge from European symbolism to a more personal exploration of the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Through 100 paintings, drawings, prints and more, the exhibit highlights the diversity of Munch’s output and invites viewers to consider his work in its entirety.
Where: Musée d’Orsay, 1, rue de la Légion d’Honneur 75007 Paris
When: Through January 22, 2023
Walter Sickert. Painting and transgressing
The charming Petit Palais hosts the first major retrospective in France dedicated to the English painter Walter Sickert. Heavily influenced by the French art scene of the late 19th century, Sickert pushed the boundaries of English academic painting with his unusual subject matter, such as music hall performers and unglamorous nudes, as well as his unexpected color choices and disconcerting framing. Sickert’s impact had a lasting influence on English figurative painters, including Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud.
Where: Petit Palais, Avenue Winston-Churchill, 75008 Paris
When: Through January 29, 2023
AMAZING ANIMALS
Mini-Monstres
This all-ages exhibit highlights seven familiar but little-loved species present in our daily lives: the louse, fly, tick, mosquito, flea, bedbug and mite. Sometimes called “parasites,” they are nevertheless fascinating creatures with an important role to play in the balance of ecosystems. Through this playful and immersive journey, learn about their amazing lifestyles, behaviors and abilities, as well the evolution of the scientific devices that allow us to observe them.
Where: Jardin des Plantes, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Pari
When: Through April 23, 2023
Musicanimale
The Philharmonie’s first major step into the field of « bioacoustics, » this exhibition is a treat for the eyes and ears as it explores the extraordinary influence of animal voices in the history of art and music. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, books and objets d’art are interspersed with listening stations that reproduce bird vocalizations, insect chirping, melodic whale songs, and the howls of wolves, drawing attention to the importance of ensuring our future biodiversity. Concerts and interactive activities will keep the whole family engaged.
Where: Philharmonie de Paris, 221 avenue Jean-Jaurès, 75019 Paris
When: Through January 29, 2023
