Jean Dubuffet and the Tour with Figures: An Exhibition Celebrating the Artist’s Unconventional Masterpiece at the Playing Card Museum

The French Museum of Playing Cards in Issy-les-Moulineaux invites visitors to explore a major work by Jean Dubuffet, on display from December 3, 2025, to June 28, 2026.

It is an unmissable artistic curiosity hidden in the park on Île Saint-Germain. Jean Dubuffet's Tour aux Figures never ceases to amaze and fascinate passers-by in this corner of the Hauts-de-Seine. The French Playing Card Museum is exploring the mysteries of this tower in a unique exhibition running from December 3, 2025, to June 28, 2026.

Titled Jean Dubuffet and the Tower of Figures: A Monumental Journey, this exhibition takes us on an unusual tour of the history behind this contemporary installation, originally conceived in 1968 by French artist Jean Dubuffet.

The exhibition brings together nearly 70 paintings, drawings, and models that recount the genesis and stages of creation of this unusual artistic project. The Musée de la Carte à Jouer exhibition continues outdoors, with a special installation in the main courtyard of Issy-les-Moulineaux Town Hall. Visitors can then admire the Tour aux Figures itself after a fifteen-minute walk.

At the Playing Card Museum, curious visitors can follow the different stages of the creation of this immersive work. The exhibition looks back at the greatHourloupe project, conceived by Jean Dubuffet. Visitors can then discover the artist's talents as an architect, the construction of the Tower, its restoration, and its classification as a Historic Monument in 2008.

This journey showcases a variety of works and projects created by Jean Dubuffet outside of the renowned Tour aux Figures. The displayed pieces offer insight into the artist's creative process, his unique perspective on art, and the distinctive features of the tower itself. Additionally, visitors can explore several vintage newspaper clippings from the era, highlighting the initial mixed reception and challenges the work faced in winning over the public...

Please note that the Tour aux Figures will not reopen until spring 2026, so you will have to wait a little longer to explore the interior of the tower. In the meantime, you can learn more about the history of this work at the exhibition at the French Playing Card Museum!

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