Art Basel Paris 2026: From James Turrell to Annette Messager, the free exhibition at Maison Guerlain

L'art contemporain prend des couleurs… et du parfum ! Pour Art Basel Paris 2026, Guerlain présente The Hour of Possibilities, a free exhibition bringing together 34 artists at 68 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from October 21 to November 15, 2026.

What if contemporary art has a nose, too? On the occasion of Art Basel Paris 2026, which takes over the Grand Palais from October 23 to 25, artistic happenings spill out onto the streets and iconic addresses of the capital. Along the Champs-Élysées, Guerlain also joins the party with L'Heure des Possibles, a free exhibition to discover from October 21 to November 15, 2026, at number 68 on the famed avenue. The program features paintings, photographs, sculptures, and installations by 34 international artists, with a little fragrant twist to boot!

Last year already, Maison Guerlain bridged art and fragrance with En Plein Cœur, a free, sensory show celebrating 100 years of Shalimar. This year, a shift in tempo and mood! The Blue Hour sets the tone: that suspended moment at sunset when the sky blushes blue and night tiptoes in. A moment that inspired the iconic perfume L'Heure Bleue, born of Jacques Guerlain in 1912 and reimagined in 2026. In the galleries, artists inhabit this in-between space where light reshapes itself, colors shift, and our eyes play tricks on us. The journey unfolds in three acts, weaving contemplation, introspection, and movement.

From James Turrell to Annette Messager, a journey through light and illusion

Côté artistes, James Turrell, renowned for his work with light, sits alongside Ann Veronica Janssens, whose plays with transparency shift with the viewing angle. The bold colors of Ugo Rondinone answer the nocturnal landscapes of Marie Bovo, while the photographs of Juliette Agnel plunge us before vast icebergs. So many ways to capture that moment when day gives way to night.

But the exhibition doesn’t stop there, dazzling us all the same! Laure Prouvost plays with our reflection through a sculpture featuring a mirrored face, Christian Boltanski probes memory with his luminous installation Après, and Maarten Baas gives time a witty twist with his Children's Clocks, clocks made from 720 drawings by children. We also encounter Yoann Bourgeois, who defies balance and gravity, or Annette Messager, whose work Utopia blends letters, fur and a black mesh.

An exhibition to look at... and breathe in!

Because we’re at Guerlain, the sense of smell is also invited to the party! Perfumer Delphine Jelk has crafted olfactory compositions that resonate with certain works, to extend the visit beyond what the eye can see. The fragrances thus accompany photographs, paintings and installations.

Between light shows, optical illusions, intriguing works and sensory experiences, L'Heure des Possibles invites visitors to slow down and let themselves be surprised.

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