Iron Breath: the contemporary art exhibition that breathes new life into the Bastille Design Center

Looking for an offbeat exhibition in Paris? "Breath of Iron - Art as Breath Recovered" lands at the Bastille Design Center in the 11th arrondissement, from April 17 to 19, 2026. Conceived by painter and curator Anna Sokolov for the Fondation Présent, this group show unfolds inside a former hardware shop dating back to 1867, now repurposed into a 600 m² event space. The venue still bears the marks of its past with its solid floors, metal framework, oak shelving, and a skylight gallery. Here, architecture isn’t just a backdrop: it actively shapes the experience and serves as one of the guiding threads of the visit.

An exhibition that brings together a wide range of visual arts

The route invites you to view the building as a living organism, permeated by air, light and the flow of movement. The works, spanning painting, sculpture, textiles and installations, echo this breath-like idea. Some canvases seem to ripple, light sculptures appear to drift, and light itself reshapes the volumes. If immersive art experiences are your thing, this exhibit may hold your attention. You wander through an old industrial space reimagined by contemporary creation, with the sense that you’re keeping pace with the rhythm of breath through the materials and forms.

Every evening after 7:00 PM, charity events will take place, including film screenings, performances, and jazz! A big evening is also planned for the exhibition opening, on Friday, April 17, with admission by donation starting at €10 (registration link here).

Between industrial memory and contemporary art

The visit unfolds over three levels, using a physiological metaphor. The basement evokes inspiration, the ground floor suggests suspension, and the mezzanine accompanies the idea of a brighter expiration. In an era dominated by the rapid pace of images, "Souffle de Fer" advocates a more physical, slower relationship with art. Gesture, technique and the labor of material take center stage. This cultural outing in Paris, free to enter, should appeal to lovers of design, heritage and contemporary art.

An exhibition worth making a detour for

"Breath of iron" thus occupies this former space transformed into a sensitive landscape, between industrial memory and contemporary poetry. In a scenography evoking a hardware store of yesteryear, the works let force and fragility dialogue. Paintings, sculptures, engravings and photographs reinvent matter, while performances, projections and music energize the space. The exhibition goes beyond contemplation to breathe new life into the place, between movement, vibration and collective experience.

With "Souffle de fer", art reveals itself here as a sensory experience to be fully lived during a visit.

Featured artists:
Pauline Ohrel, Aurélie Lafourcade, Yana Bystrova, Emmanuel Gatti, Anna Ryabova, Vladimir Kara, Philippe Barnier, Vladimir Sokolov, Anna Sokolov, Anaïs Charras, Kristina Buga, Vitali Skvorkin, Vadim Narcissov, Nikita Chernoritskiy, Dmitrij Dihovichnij, Daria Surovtseva, Andrei Andreev, Li Suntta, Nathan Chantob, Marina Stepanova.

About the Présent Foundation:
The Présent Foundation is an independent, non-profit platform for contemporary art. It brings together artists, galleries, institutions and educational projects around exhibitions, lectures, workshops and events.

For more information, you can visit the Foundation’s official site at artpresent.info/fr