Featured Events in Paris in December, 2024(January Updated)

After four years of renovation, the Grand Palais in Paris is about to reopen. The first exhibition is a large-scale touring exhibition of Japanese contemporary female artist Chiharu Shiota, "Chiharu Shiota: Trembling Soul". This exhibition is curated by the Mori Art Museum in Japan and is the largest solo exhibition of Chiharu Shiota in France so far. In the 1,200 square meters of exhibition space, visitors will enjoy 7 giant installations, as well as several sculptures, photos, sketches, performance art videos and stage performance drawings, etc., to understand the artist's more than 20 years of artistic career.

The Louvre’s Department of Near Eastern Antiquities is hosting ten major works from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, whose Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art is currently closed for renovation. The Louvre and The Met have created a unique dialogue between these two collections, which is displayed in the Louvre’s permanent galleries. These ‘special guest’ artworks from The Met, dating from between the late 4th millennium BC and the 5th century AD, show some remarkable connections with the Louvre’s collection. In some cases, a pair of objects has been reunited for the first time, while in others, pieces complement each other by virtue of specific historical features of their respective collections. Representing Central Asia, Syria, Iran and Mesopotamia, this dialogue between collections is (re)introducing visitors to these extraordinary, age-old works of art and the stories they tell.

Stephane Jaspert paints mainstream images on old paving rocks picked from the streets of Paris (pavé de Paris) in his tiny studio at Montmartre.

From September 20, 2024 through May 4, 2025, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris presents The Flowers of Yves Saint Laurent.Designed by curators Olivier Saillard and Gaël Mamine, the exhibition follows an opening exhibition on view at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech from March 2, 2024 through January 5, 2025. For the first time, the two museums have joined forces to mount a joint exhibition devoted to a major theme in the designer's work.

Created in 2000 to shine a spotlight on the teeming creativity of the French art scene, the Marcel Duchamp Award aims to honour the artists who best represent their generation and promote the diversity of practices at work today in France on the international scene. The 2024 shortlist comprises: Abdelkader Benchamma; Gaëlle Choisne; Angela Detanico and Rafael Lain and Noémie Goudal. The loyal partnership between ADIAF (Association for the International Diffusion of French art) and the Centre Pompidou strives to promote the French art scene to as many people as possible and consolidating the support that these artists need.

The Museum of Modern Art in Paris proposes to revisit the history of modernity in the 20th century through The Imagination of the Atom. The exhibition invites the public to explore the artistic expressions provoked by the scientific discovery of the atom and its applications, in particular the nuclear bomb, whose devastating consequences changed the destiny of humanity. By bringing together nearly 250 works (paintings, drawings, photographs, videos and installations), as well as often unpublished documents, the exhibition presents for the first time in a French institution the very different positions taken by artists in the face of scientific progress and the controversies it has provoked. Dealing with a topic that is more topical than ever, it is part of the museum's wish to echo contemporary cultural and social issues in its programming.

GALLERIA CONTINUA presents in its exhibition space in Paris, in the heart of the Marais, a new solo exhibition by Michelangelo Pistoletto, titled Nouvelle perspective (New perspective).

The exhibition proposes a dialogue between the Jean-Jacques Lebel endowment fund and the collection of the Centre Pompidou. More than 120 works, from different sources, lead us into an unruly crossing of passions from the 20th century to the present day, from struggles and revolts. The exhibition that puts on a plan of equality anonymous objects and major works reveals other stories of art and gaze.

“Stone Speakers” is an immersive experience. It invites the audience to enter a volcanic landscape of mineral sculptures, amid which can be heard the primordial conversations of the earth. Using recordings of volcanoes made in Colombia, Ethiopia, Iceland, Indonesia and Italy, Julian Charrière connects us with the bowels of the planet, seen not as an inert kingdom, but on the contrary as a living, vibrant place. Magma chambers, tides, and tectonic plates all in motion come together. The exhibition space, transformed into a symbolical crater, amplifies their rumbling, penetrating dialogues. It creates an architectural echo chamber exploring our relationship with other forms of life, using a live feed of data from global seismic monitoring stations that capture the sounds of rock and tectonic plates.

“Stone Speakers” is an immersive experience. It invites the audience to enter a volcanic landscape of mineral sculptures, amid which can be heard the primordial conversations of the earth. Using recordings of volcanoes made in Colombia, Ethiopia, Iceland, Indonesia and Italy, Julian Charrière connects us with the bowels of the planet, seen not as an inert kingdom, but on the contrary as a living, vibrant place. Magma chambers, tides, and tectonic plates all in motion come together. The exhibition space, transformed into a symbolical crater, amplifies their rumbling, penetrating dialogues. It creates an architectural echo chamber exploring our relationship with other forms of life, using a live feed of data from global seismic monitoring stations that capture the sounds of rock and tectonic plates.

Guillaume Bottazzi a réalisé un tableau fruité en face du parc Montsouris. Il est visible de l’extérieur, au 34-36 avenue Reille, à Paris dans le 14ème arrondissement. Ce tableau apporte l’art ou on ne l’attend pas forcément et accompagne le quotidien des habitants. Cette huile sur toile de lin mesure 0,90m de haut par 1,80m de large. Elle a été conçue pour habiller l’entrée d’un bâtiment et dialogue avec les éléments qui l’entourent. L’artiste a déjà créé plus de 65 œuvres dans des espaces publics, comme un polyptique de 100m² à Paris La Défense, à Hong-Kong ou au Japon où il est l'auteur de la plus grande peinture du Pays, commandée par le Musée International d'Art Miyanomori. Ses œuvres font partie de collections muséales, notamment en Asie et aux Etats-Unis.

Guillaume Bottazzi a réalisé un tableau fruité en face du parc Montsouris. Il est visible de l’extérieur, au 34-36 avenue Reille, à Paris dans le 14ème arrondissement. Ce tableau apporte l’art ou on ne l’attend pas forcément et accompagne le quotidien des habitants.Cette huile sur toile de lin mesure 0,90m de haut par 1,80m de large. Elle a été conçue pour habiller l’entrée d’un bâtiment et dialogue avec les éléments qui l’entourent. L’artiste a déjà créé plus de 65 œuvres dans des espaces publics, comme un polyptique de 100m² à Paris La Défense, à Hong-Kong ou au Japon où il est l'auteur de la plus grande peinture du Pays, commandée par le Musée International d'Art Miyanomori. Ses œuvres font partie de collections muséales, notamment en Asie et aux Etats-Unis. Site internet de Guillaume Bottazzi : https://www.guillaume.bottazzi.org

Metamorphoses offers children a chance to explore various metamorphoses – natural, amazing and also personal – by bringing together science and imagination. It also introduces the basis of a scientific approach by encouraging children of all ages to observe, be amazed and question – whilst stimulating their imagination. Whether they are the sources of fascination or apprehension, metamorphoses open up new possibilities.

En 2024, pour la 8e édition des prix AWARE, deux prix seront attribués : le prix Nouveau Regard, récompensant une artiste en milieu decarrière et le prix d’honneur, attribué à une artiste justifiant de plus de 40 ans decarrière. À nouveau cette année, quatre rapporteur·euse·s – professionnel·le·sengagé·e·s du monde de la culture – présélectionneront chacun·e un duo d’artistes, nommées respectivement au prix Nouveau Regard et au prix d’honneur, et présenteront et défendront leur travail devant un jury composé de sept figures majeures du monde de la culture. Les quatre rapporteur·euse·spour l’édition 2024 sont Simona Dvorák, Antoine Idier, Noelia Portela et Olivier Zeitoun. Simona Dvorák Simona Dvorák est curatrice et historienne de l’art basée à Paris. Elle s’intéresseà des pratiques performatives, sonores, radiophoniques et vidéo, en mettanten valeur un travail collectif à long terme. En tant que curatrice au sein de l’Initiative for Practices and Visions of Radical Care, elle étudie la manière dont nous pouvons créer des espaces communs et solidaires dans la sphère culturelle. Son travail souligne l’importance des « processus d’exposition » qui anticipent les futurs possibles : antisexistes, antiracistes, inclusifs. Plus récemment, elle a été boursière du programme Art et éducation à la documenta fifteen à Kasselet a collaboré sur la conception du programme public Walking with Water, imaginé en relation avec le pavillon serbe de la 59e Biennale de Venise. Elle a été également chargée de programmation au Centre Pompidou à Paris ouelle a notamment travaillé sur le programme Cultures d’avenir. Actuellement, Dvorák est curatrice invitée, avec Tadeo Kohan, pour le programme « actes delangage » à la Maison populaire de Montreuil. Parallèlement, elle développe un projet de recherche sur la politique des archives au Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai, en collaboration avec Merv Espina. Antoine Idier Antoine Idier est maître de conférences en science politique à Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye, où il coordonne les enseignements « Art & culture » et dirige le Master Politiques de création. Il a publié de nombreux ouvrages, dont Les Vies de GuyHocquenghem. Politique, sexualité, culture(Fayard, 2017), Archives des mouvements LGBT+ (Textuel, 2018), Pureté etimpureté de l’art. Michel Journiac et le Sida (Sombres torrents, 2020) ou encore Résistances Queer. Une histoire des cultures LGBTQI+(avec Pochep, Delcourt/La Découverte, 2023). Il a édité des écrits de Guy Hocquenghem (Un journal de rêve, Verticales, 2017) et de yann beauvais (Agir le cinéma, Presses du réel, 2021). En 2022-2023, il a été commissaire de l’exposition Dans les marges. Trente ans du fonds Michel Chomarat à la bibliothèque de Lyon. Pour un projet en cours d’écriture, il a également reçu une bourse de recherche de la fondation Robert Rauschenberg. Noelia Portela Noelia Portela est commissaire d’exposition indépendante et coordinatrice de projets culturels basée à Paris. Noelia Portela est diplômée de l’école d’Architecture et de Design de l’université Victoria de Wellington en Nouvelle-Zélande. En 2017, elle fonde Persona Curada, un projet curatorial itinérant et expérimental à but non lucratif qui vise à promouvoir l’art contemporain latino-américain, mis en perspective avec la scène artistique française. Avec Persona Curada, elle organise des expositions, des projections, des performances et des débats en collaboration avec des institutions et des espaces d’art contemporain. Ses textes ont été publiés dans des revues comme Artishock Magazine (Chile), Relieve Contemporaneo (Argentina) et Obra Latinoamericana (Suisse). Olivier Zeitoun Olivier Zeitoun est attaché de conservation au département Design et Prospective industrielle du Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, à Paris. Diplômé en philosophie, histoire de l’art et en sciences sociales, il est l’auteur de nombreux articles et essais sur les enjeux liés aux champs du numérique et du vivant, dans l’art et le design. Il a été co-commissaire des expositions « La Fabrique du Vivant » (Centre Pompidou, 2019), « Réseaux-Mondes » (Centre Pompidou, 2022), « Mimésis, un design vivant » (Centre Pompidou-Metz, 2022), avec Marie-Ange Brayer, et a co-dirigé les catalogues les accompagnant. Il poursuit ses activités de commissariat, d’enseignement, de recherche et de publications en tant que commissaire et critique indépendant. Il ouvrira prochainement au Huidenclub, à Rotterdam, avec Léo Orta, l’exposition « Design Sediments ».

Stephane Jaspert paints mainstream images on old paving rocks picked from the streets of Paris (pavé de Paris) in his tiny studio at Montmartre.

Designed like a maze, the “Surrealism” exhibition is an unprecedented exploration of the extraordinary creativity of the Surrealist movement, which was born in 1924 with André Breton’s founding manifesto. Combining paintings, drawings, films, photographs and literary documents, the exhibition features works by the movement’s iconic artists (Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst, Joan Miró) as well as works by female Surrealists including Leonora Carrington, Israel Colhoun and Dora Maar. Chronologically and thematically organized, the exhibition is divided into 14 sections that evoke the literary figures that inspired the movement (Lautreamont, Lewis Carroll, Sade, etc.) and the poetic principles that constitute its imagery (the artist as medium, the dream, the philosopher's stone, the forest, etc.). The heart of the exhibition is a central "drum" that houses the original manuscript of the Manifesto, an exceptional gift on loan from the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The discovery of this unique document is accompanied by multimedia screenings that offer an in-depth look at its creation and its significance.

In this exhibition, the museum has brought together about 40 art exhibits from the famous Borghese Gallery in Rome, including well-known paintings and sculptures from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Don't miss this great exhibition!

A major figure in American photography, Barbara Crane (1928-2019) never stopped exploring photographic forms and techniques. The first major monograph in Europe, the exhibition brings together more than two hundred works by the Chicago-born artist, some of which have recently entered the collection of the Musée National d’Art Moderne.

Franco-Italian, Alex Cecchetti is an artist, poet, performer, gardener, storyteller and choreographer. He creates environments where the audience is fully part of the work, true celebrations of nature where the issues of the contemporary world, such as ecology or the question of gender, are transfigured by his extravagant imagination. For the Centre Pompidou, it is into the depths of the seabed that he invites the audience to enter: a stage in the shape of a reef, coral sofas or jellyfish hammocks in which to nestle.

The intense feeling I experience when I approach a work by Evi Keller is first and foremost that of seeing intensified. Strangely enough, I don’t see in front of me, but “within me.” The light that emerges is formed by eyes that close, open, and close again, creating an inverted gaze as you try to perceive a reality that is not immediately evident. This Matière-Lumière (Light-Matter) comes from within. It is born of a to-and-fro that causes it to radiate from an inner source. It is a mental phenomenon, consistent with the perception and imagination it evokes. Shimmering, swirling surfaces, clarity from one space to another.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Céline Laguarde established herself as an international figure in the first artistic movement in the history of photography, pictorialism. Her work is now emerging from a century of oblivion. The rediscovery to which the exhibition invites is twofold: that of a female photographer who achieved a degree of recognition that was unique and unprecedented in France since the invention of the medium, but also, and above all, that of an artist already considered, during her lifetime, among the major photographers of her time.