Palais de Tokyo: ECHO DELAY REVERB, an exhibition celebrating contemporary American art

The Palais de Tokyo presents ECHO DELAY REVERB, a major group exhibition from October 22, 2025, to February 15, 2026, which explores the links between contemporary American art and Francophone thought, curated by Naomi Beckwith.

What if American art were told through a French-speaking lens? As part of the American Season, the Palais de Tokyo presents ECHO DELAY REVERB, a major group exhibition curated by American curator Naomi Beckwith. From October 22, 2025, to February 15, 2026, nearly 60 artists will take over the museum's spaces to explore the links between contemporary American art and theoretical, political, and poetic thought from the French-speaking world, in a unique dialogue between two cultures.

Theexhibition highlights how thinkers such as Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Frantz Fanon, Aimé Césaire and Édouard Glissant inspired American artists to transgress norms and propose new perspectives on the world. The works presented, from the 1970s to the present day, bear witness to direct dialogues, subversive homages and allusive correspondences between theory and artistic practice.

Mapping influences and shapes

ECHO DELAY REVERB offers an original cartography of these transatlantic intellectual and artistic exchanges. Visitors will discover works by historical figures such as Dan Graham, Hans Haacke, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Renée Green, Cindy Sherman, Lorna Simpson and Glenn Ligon, alongside contemporary artists such as Tiona Nekkia McClodden, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Char Jeré and Cici Wu.

Theexhibition is distinguished by the diversity of the media presented: installations, photographs, videos, sculptures and sound works. The exhibition is rounded out by a collection of archives, highlighting the figures, institutions and publishing houses that played a key role in the dissemination of French-language ideas in the United States.

An event for all audiences

Whether you're a contemporary art enthusiast, a lover of philosophy or curious about cultural exchange, ECHO DELAY REVERB offers an immersive and stimulating experience. The Palais de Tokyo, with its vast spaces and thought-provoking atmosphere, is the ideal place for a family outing, a cultural rendezvous with friends or a solo exploration.

The exhibition is quite large and extensive, covering part of the ground floor and the entire basement. You will therefore need a little time to see everything, in addition to the Melvin Edwards exhibition. The retrospective is also suitable for all audiences, although it is particularly recommended for contemporary art lovers and those familiar with French-speaking thought exported to the United States (Édouard Glissant, Simone de Beauvoir, Jacques Derrida, Jean Genet, Pierre Bourdieu, etc.).

An exhibition divided into several sections, each revealing their facets and singularities, always with regard to the current of thought that is the subject of the exhibition. It is accompanied by a book edited by Naomi Beckwith and Elvan Zabunyan, published by B42, which explores the themes addressed through essays and interviews with major figures in contemporary thought.

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