The Grand Palais is hosting This Will Not End Well, the first French retrospective dedicated to Nan Goldin, a leading figure in contemporary photography, from March 18 to June 21, 2026. Situated between the Grand Palais’s main hall and the Saint-Louis Chapel at the Salpêtrière, the exhibition features six slide shows and video installations that explore the interplay between photography and cinema in her work.
Designed as an immersive experience, the exhibition space, created by Hala Wardé, transforms the galleries into narrative pavilions, each carefully curated to showcase a specific piece. Organized under the auspices of Moderna Museet in Stockholm, this presentation offers a fresh perspective on the work of Nan Goldin, blending photography, sound, archives, and experimental film into an innovative storytelling experience.
This inaugural French retrospective of the artist explores her work through an immersive lens, highlighting her cinematic approach to slide shows. A medium she has been experimenting with since the 1980s, these pieces were originally created for display in clubs, underground cinemas, or alternative festivals. They serve as personal and social reflections on themes such as marginality, identity, loss, celebration, and pain.
Through six key works, the exhibition reveals the depth of Nan Goldin's artistic journey. The Ballad of Sexual Dependency chronicles her years of freedom in New York, Berlin, and London, capturing life within vibrant creative communities before the onset of the AIDS crisis. The Other Side pays tribute to the transgender friends who have stood by her side over the decades. Sisters, Saints, Sibyls, installed at the Chapelle Saint-Louis de la Salpêtrière, confronts themes of family trauma and suicide, set within a space rich with history.
Recent works such as Memory Lost and Sirens transport visitors into altered states of consciousness, swinging between euphoria and collapse as they explore themes of addiction and disorientation. Lastly, Stendhal Syndrome, created in 2024, draws on mythology to depict the dizzying sensation experienced when confronted with overwhelming beauty. Combining voice, archives, and shifting images, Nan Goldin crafts compelling narratives that reveal the invisible layers of emotion and perception.
This exhibition is designed for those who seek powerful artistic experiences—those who enjoy being challenged, shaken up, and moved. If you have a passion for documentary photography, experimental film, or are interested in issues of gender, memory, and activism, this show will surely catch your attention. It also offers an ideal opportunity for a thoughtful outing with friends, a solo visit, or for art lovers eager to rediscover the Grand Palais in a new and innovative way.
However, the exhibition is not designed for young children or visitors seeking a light-hearted or playful experience. It is aimed at a more discerning audience, ready to engage with unvarnished life stories that can be intense and deeply moving.
Our Take on the Nan Goldin Exhibition at the Grand Palais:
An exhibition that we previewed before its opening. Dark and intimate, this retrospective invites visitors into the artist’s world through six major spaces and installations, featuring video projections and slideshows. Her work, often provocative, offers "snapshots of intimacy and relationships, daily life and wild celebrations, hope and despair."
A Sex, Drugs, and Rock ’n’ Roll exhibition that celebrates life's fleeting moments, capturing slices of life and suspended moments that seem frozen in time.
Our Recommendations:
Given the exhibition’s somber tone — both in its themes and, notably, in its physical space — be careful where you step, especially if the venue is crowded (even though it’s quite spacious). Photos and videos are strictly prohibited, a decision made by the artist who wants visitors to experience the exhibition firsthand [...] rather than record it. She emphasizes: "I rely on you to show respect both for me and for the people appearing in these images." She also concludes: "Please do not share any photographs or videos of this exhibition online, including on social media."
This exhibition may contain scenes of nudity or graphic content, touching on serious topics such as suicide, drug use, and domestic violence... For an informed audience. The videos and slideshows range from 16 to 42 minutes, and you can expect to spend around two hours exploring the entire exhibition.
Nan Goldin’s work goes far beyond the traditional museum setting. As an activist, she co-founded P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now), a movement fighting the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. Their campaign focuses in particular on challenging the financial ties between major cultural institutions and the Sackler family. Throughout her career, Goldin’s approach remains marked by the ongoing tension between art and activism, the personal and the political.
Having been showcased at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, then at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, and at Pirelli HangarBicocca in Milan, this international exhibition finds a new resonance in Paris, set against the iconic walls of the Grand Palais and La Salpêtrière.
This Will Not End Well isn’t just an exhibition. It’s an emotional journey, a deep dive into the memories of a bygone era, a living piece of art meant to be experienced with all your senses. Recommended for a curious and open-minded audience.
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Dates and Opening Time
From March 18, 2026 to June 21, 2026
Location
Grand Palais
3 Avenue du Général Eisenhower
75008 Paris 8
Access
M° Champs-Elysées Clemenceau
Prices
Tarif réduit: €13
Plein tarif: €17
Official website
www.grandpalais.fr
