Paris has earned its reputation as an artist’s wonderland. Take a trip to Montmartre and you’ll find painters of every age setting up their easles for a day of work. If you’re more of an admirer of art than a maker of it, you’ll be happy to discover world-renowned exhibitions on show all throughout the year. As the weather outside gets frightful, turn to these art expos in Paris to get you through the winter months.
Hokusai (1760-1849)
October 1, 2014 to January 18, 2015
Grand Palais
This bold Japanese artist is nothing short of legendary. Perhaps you’ve seen his “Great Wave Off Kanagawa” or a piece from his woodblock print series, “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.” The simple lines and muted tones used in Hokusai’s paintings are striking, and his work is perhaps the most well-known representation of Japanese art in the West. Now, his abundant and varied work is available to all at the Grand Palais and under unique circumstances – plans for a Hokusai Museum in Tokyo are in the works, which means his art won’t be traveling much after that.
Jeff Koons
November 26, 2014 to April 27, 2015
Centre Pompidou
The zany, colorful world of Jeff Koons is coming to Paris, and there are sure to be plenty of life-sized, stainless steel balloon animals in our midst. The American contemporary artist left his life as a Wall Street trader to make art that questions American consumerism and our obsession with celebrity. Through photography, painting and installations, Koons takes everyday items and turns them into thought-provoking works. The question is, are they profound and daring or just kitsch? It’s up to you to decide.
Street Art at Espace Dali
September 11, 2014 to March 15, 2015
Espace Dali
Twenty-one street artists come together to celebrate the wild, unusual and non-conformist art that made up Salvador Dali’s body of work. In that same vein of free expression, these street artists have each created a piece that represents Dali’s unique, surrealist world. It’s urban art brought to painting, design, stencil, sound, light painting and installation, and it should prove to be fabulous. A special Street Art workshop has also been organized for children.
Robotic Art
April 8, 2014 to January 4, 2015
Cité des Sciences
The lines between art and technology blur at this fantastic exhibition, featuring twenty enormous robotic creations. A robot painter and robot sculptor are just some of the works you’ll happen upon as you weave your way through the 1600 m2 space – anything involving automated technology is considered robotic art, and you’ll find plenty of pieces that stray from replicas of the human body and get creative.
Garry Winogrand
October 14, 2014 to January 25, 2015
Jeu de Paume
Few captured America post-war like Garry Winogrand. His camera lens was a view into the United States from the 1950s to the 1980s, and his photos brought society’s social issues to life. This retrospective of the American street photographer covers three periods: first, his photos of New York between 1950 to 1971, then his photos taken outside of New York, and finally images from Texas, North Carolina, Chicago and more.
Looking for more art? Get your fill of French impressionism on our Monet’s Garden Bike Tour.
