Hilma af Klint at the Grand Palais: an exhibition weaving together spiritualism, the occult, and abstraction

Hilma af Klint, the Swedish visionary artist and a pioneer of abstraction, anchors a groundbreaking show at the Grand Palais, in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, from May 6 to August 30, 2026. Her mystic works, nourished by Spiritism and the occult, are unveiled in France for the first time in a curatorial journey that brings together almost the entire body of the Temple Paintings cycle, her magnum opus.

What if spirits opened the way to abstraction? The Grand Palais is hosting an unprecedented exhibition in France dedicated to Hilma af Klint, the visionary Swedish artist and a key figure in abstraction, from May 6 to August 30, 2026. Born in 1862, she developed, from the early 20th century, a pictorial language built on geometric forms, bold colors, and organic motifs, at a moment when art history still linked the rise of abstraction to Kandinsky or Malevich. Through this exhibition, her mystical work, nourished by Spiritualism, the occult, and the pursuit of the invisible world, invites a rethinking of Hilma af Klint's place in the history of modern art.

An exhibition created in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou showcases for the first time in France the works of an artist, including the complete series of Paintings of the Temple (1906-1915). This mystical and monumental cycle consists of 193 pieces, featuring the renowned Ten Greatest series — striking in their imposing formats and esoteric symbolism. A must-see for those interested in the roots of abstraction, as well as the connections between art, spirituality, and occult sciences.

An artist bridging two worlds: between the seen and the unseen

Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, the artist pursued a double life: on one side, an academically rooted, figurative body of work; on the other, a secret, radically fresh mode of creation. Influenced by spiritism, theosophy, and her mediumistic experiments within a women’s group called De Fem (made up of five women artists—Hilma af Klint, Sigrid Herman, Anna Cassel, Cornelia Cederberg, and Mathilda Nilsson), she devised a visual language to translate the cosmic and invisible forces that inspired her. Spirals, circles, and beams of light formed a distinct visual vocabulary, far from the established norms of her era.

This dialogue between science, faith, and art is felt in every piece on display, carrying an utopian spirit that transcends mere aesthetics. In a thoughtfully designed space meant to evoke the powerful vibrational energy of these works, visitors embark on an immersive journey filled with echoes of a metaphysical and universal quest. Far from merely recounting history, this exhibition encourages a contemporary reflection on the role of women in the history of art, a narrative long suppressed or overlooked.

Our take on Hilma af Klint at the Grand Palais

A show we could preview ahead of its opening. At the Grand Palais, head to Room 8 at the far end to reach the exhibition entrance (yes, you have to traverse the space). It opens with a small circular chamber revealing the artist’s early spiritist works, drawn on paper, accompanied by a wall label explaining her practice through “the group of five mediumistic practices.” This isn’t a retrospective; it’s a focused look at her monumental cycle, The Paintings of the Temple, a major body of work that is rarely collected in a single place.

Our recommendations:

The galleries are spacious and well laid out, giving plenty of room to move and soak in the works. Do keep an eye on the second floor: start on the left-hand section before doubling back to the right, then follow the chronology of the grand cycle.

The show traces the development step by step—from the initial room on mediumistic practices and the psychograph to the creation of each series inspired by higher supernatural beings. Each series, presented chronologically, also follows a narrative arc about the transcendence of the body.

The exhibition opens in a room housing fragile works, sensitive to light and temperature. Bring a sweater. It closes with a altarpiece that, in its own way, sums up the entire body of the work. A neat bookend to the experience!

A fresh take on art history through the feminine lens

Long overlooked, Hilma af Klint has experienced a global revival since the 1980s, sparked by notable exhibitions like The Spiritual in Art in Los Angeles in 1986, and more recently, They Shape Abstraction at the Centre Pompidou. The exhibition at the Grand Palais continues this momentum of re-evaluating women artists, highlighting their crucial contributions to the development of major 20th-century art movements.

Through this spotlight, a complete reassessment of the dominant narratives in art history is undertaken, expanding the ways we interpret modernity. This exhibition represents a crucial milestone for anyone interested in the diversity of artistic voices and how certain figures have, from the margins, reshaped our view of the world. An exhibition not to be missed!

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