After a rainy winter, spring has finally arrived in Paris, ushering in an air of excitement as the city catches Olympic fever. So it’s no surprise that the new cultural season offers several exhibits celebrating sports and athletes, as well as ones exploring Paris in the 19th century, the evolution of Arab art, and the studios of modern masters. As always, check the museum websites for opening times and booking information before you head out.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
The Body in Motion
The Petit Palais pulls from its collection to highlight works that celebrate the body, anatomy and sports. The 50 works, ranging from antiquity to the early 20th century, are enriched with interviews with athletes and para-athletes who share their perspectives and create links between the artists and their own activity as high-level athletes.
Where: Petit Palais, Avenue Winston-Churchill, 75008 Paris
When: May 15 to November 17, 2024
En Jeu! Artists and Sport (1870-1930)
Look back at the visual history of sport between 1870 and 1930 via more than a hundred major works from public and private collections. Covering several artistic movements, from Impressionism to Cubism, this exhibit explores how sports—from horse-riding and fencing to wrestling and rowing—were perceived by artists such as Monet, Degas, Caillebotte, and more, and how sportspeople were made into icons of modernity.
Where: Musée Marmottan Monet, 2, Rue Louis-Boilly, 75016 Paris
When: April 4 to September 1, 2024
For more Olympics-related culture, check out Olympism – Modern Invention, Ancient Legacy at the Louvre, Gold, Silver, Bronze. A History of the Olympic Medal at La Monnaie de Paris, or MATCH, Design & Sport: A Story Looking to the Future at the Musée de Luxembourg. And learn more about the full L’Olympiade Culturelle program HERE.
THE STUDIO AND BEYOND
Brancusi
The Pompidou Center offers a large-scale retrospective of the works of Constantin Brancusi, often considered the father of modern sculpture. Centered around Brancusi’s studio, which has been entirely recreated at the museum, the exhibit features nearly 200 sculptures, along with photographs, drawings, films, archives, tools and furniture. Enter into the unique and poetic universe of this exceptional artist and get a glimpse of his creative process, from plaster models to masterpieces in bronze and stone.
Where: Centre Pompidou, Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris
When: March 27 to July 1, 2024
Matisse, The Red Studio
The Fondation Louis Vuitton devotes an exhibit to the genesis and history of Matisse’s famous 1911 masterpiece, the Red Studio, which depicts the artist’s studio filled with his paintings and sculptures, furniture, and decorative objects. On display alongside the large-scale canvas are the surviving six paintings, three sculptures and one ceramic depicted within it as well as archival material and related paintings and drawings. And while at the FLV be sure to check out the museum’s other show, Ellsworth Kelly. Shapes and Colors, 1949-2015, which celebrate the centenary of Kelly’s birth, showcasing why he is considered one of the most significant American abstract painters and sculptors.
Where: Fondation Louis Vuitton, Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Bois de Boulogne, 75116 Paris
When: May 4 to September 9, 2024
PARIS IS GRAND
Paris 1874, Inventing Impressionism
The Musée d’Orsay marks 150 years since the first impressionist show with an exhibit exploring the circumstances which led a group of artists to thumb their noses at the establishment and join forces to present their works, considered ‘avant-garde’ at the time. By painting scenes of modern life and sketching landscapes in the open air, capturing color and light in new ways, artists such as Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Pissarro, Sisley and Cézanne changed the art world forever.
Where: Musée d’Orsay, 1, Rue de la Légion d’Honneur 75007 Paris
When: March 26 to July 14, 2024
The Birth of Department Stores: Fashion, Design, Toys, Advertising, 1852-1925
The 19th century also saw the birth of Paris’ Grands Magasins, the new temples of modernity and consumerism. This exhibit traces the founding of Au Bon Marché, Au Printemps, La Samaritaine, and Les Galeries Lafayette, showing how they reflected the political and social history of the time, democratizing fashion and shopping. With over 700 pieces, from posters to clothing to toys to decorative arts, it’s the opportunity to learn more about the invention of such contemporary notions as dedicated retail spaces for women, mail-order catalogues and seasonal sales events.
Where: The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
When: April 10 to October 13, 2024
MEXICA TO MEXICO
Tina Modotti. The Eye of Revolution
The Jeu de Paume pays tribute to Tina Modotti (1896-1942), with the largest-ever exhibit in Paris devoted to the photographer and political activist. Italian by birth, Modotti got her start in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Edward Weston before moving to Mexico and becoming part of the “Mexican Renaissance” with its thriving post-revolution culture. Using her camera to shine a spotlight on the plight of the poor and oppressed, particularly women, she combined political engagement with a sharp artistic eye.
Where: Jeu de Paume, 1 Place de la Concorde, Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 Paris
When: February 13 to May 12, 2024
Mexica, Offerings and Gods at the Templo Mayor
For a more historical view of Mexico, the Quai Branly museum spotlights the research carried out at the main temple of Mexica culture, the Templo Mayor, presented for the first time in Europe. Discovered in 1978, the temple was the heart of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Mexica Empire (1325-1521), and housed 204 offerings made to the most revered deities. This literal treasure trove reveals a dynamic society filled with artistic excellence and complex symbolic and religious thought. A unique exhibit in the history of Mesoamerican archaeology.
Where: Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, 37 Quai Branly, 75007 Paris
When: April 3 to September 8, 2024
CINEMATIC SPECTACLE
The Art of James Cameron
The French Cinémathèque celebrates the genius of James Cameron, one of the greatest directors of our time. Offering a journey through 60 years of technically inventive and visually dazzling films, the exhibit traces the trajectory of his ideas, from the first sketch to the finished product, resulting in iconic movies like Terminator, Aliens, Titanic and Avatar. More than 300 pieces from Cameron’s personal vault prove that he never lost his childlike sense of imagination and wonder.
Where: Cinémathèque Française, 51 Rue de Bercy, 75012 Paris
When: April 4 to January 5, 2025
Weegee, Autopsy of the Spectacle
Discover the work of influential American photographer Weegee, whose career coincides with the rise of the tabloid press. Weegee’s cinematic black-and-white crime scene photos of gangsters lying in their own blood and kingpins looking sinister behind the bars of prison wagons are starkly contrasted with his later work documenting glamorous Hollywood parties with splashy entertainment. Yet both sides of Weegee’s work capture the idea of “spectacle” in their own way.
Where: Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, 79 Rue des Archives, 75003 Paris
When: January 30 to May 19, 2024
EYE ON ARAB ART
Étienne Dinet, Algerian Passions
Étienne Dinet (1861-1929) was one of the few “Orientalist” painters to have escaped criticisms of exoticism and the colonial gaze. This exhibit at the Institut du Monde Arabe is the opportunity to observe the passion he nurtured for his adopted country whose people and landscapes — from the desert to the oasis — he sought to depict in all their vibrant color and diversity.
Where: Institut du Monde Arabe, 1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris
When: January 30 to June 9, 2024
Arab Presences, Modern Art and Decolonisation: Paris 1908-1988
Rediscover the diversity of 20th-century Arab modernism through a selection of over 200 works, most of which have never before been exhibited in France. Focusing on the relationship between Arab artists and Paris throughout the 20th century, the exhibit illustrates how Arab modern art broke away from both Western influences and prior Islamic art to create something new yet deeply rooted in Arab culture and identity.
Where: Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, 11 Avenue du Président Wilson, 75116 Paris
When: April 5 to August 25, 2024
