If you're a fan ofcontemporary art, then you're probably constantly on the lookout for great exhibitions, whether in museums or art galleries, to (re)discover the works oftalented artists past and present. From renowned talents to rising stars and little-known artists, here's a selection of hot exhibitions to quench your thirst for culture.
Between group exhibitions, cartes blanches, retrospectives and fairs, you'll find in this guide the exhibitions of the moment, but also those to come, so that you can make a note of the dates in your diaries. All these cultural events are waiting for you, and some of them are even an opportunity to acquire a work of art for your home!
Please note that this guide is updated regularly as we make new discoveries and announcements, so be sure to keep this page handy so you don't miss out on any of the great contemporary art exhibitions to come in Paris and the Île-de-France region!
So, are you ready? Let's get ready for the contemporary art exhibitions awaiting you in the capital!
Pop Art Car 2.0: a free exhibition blending pop art, design and digital culture on the Champs-Élysées
Sponsored - From September 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027, pop art car 2.0 takes over Renault’s showcase on the Champs-Élysées, at 53 Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. With a mix of historical works, never-before-seen digital pieces and automobiles, this free exhibition brings together artists Sébastien Preschoux, Popay, Victor Vasarely and Julio Le Parc. Not to mention the all-new show car, the Renault 8 Gordini Concept, unveiled in a world premiere. [Read more]
Exploring Magic: our photos from the free exhibition with mystical overtones at the Goldshteyn-Saatort Gallery
Myths and folklore from the five continents converge in a free collective exhibition at the Goldshteyn-Saatort Gallery in Paris, running from September 25 to November 25, 2026. Titled Exploring Magic, the show brings together artists from around the world, including Ito Chieko, Asuka Irie, and Fin DAC. [Read more]
Street Art Madeleine II relocates and expands, becoming Street Art Denfert on 800 m2.
Free street-art exhibition Street Art Madeleine II leaves the crypt beneath La Madeleine church and becomes StreetArt Denfert to team up with the Expo des 150! On its floor, around a hundred Île-de-France artists will be showcased in the former Zara store at Denfert-Rochereau, Paris’s 14th arrondissement, from October 3 to 25, 2026. We’ve got all the details, and above all, remember to snag your free tickets! [Read more]
Hassan Hajjaj: his colorful portraits of "Rock Stars" on display at the Musée de la Musique
Hassan Hajjaj, the renowned contemporary artist whose work draws on his Moroccan heritage and multiculturalism, unveils his vibrant portraits of "Rock Stars" in an unprecedented exhibition at the Cité de la musique. The show runs at the Musée de la Musique from September 22, 2026 to April 25, 2027, inviting visitors to discover the photographer, stylist, and visual artist's quirky, singular world. For the occasion, the group Acid Arab presents a sound piece that dialogues with the hanging. [Read more]
Underline, the living space with a free exhibition spanning 2,000 m2 beneath the Petite Ceinture, is being unveiled.
Underline opens its eleven railway vaults to the public on Friday, September 18, 2026, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. This 2,000-square-metre creative workshop puts materiality and crafts in the spotlight, with a free exhibition featuring 40 artists, a shop, workshops, and a cafe-bar. [Read more]
The Edgar Quinet Creation Market: a free, open-air art gallery
Sponsored - The Edgar-Quinet Creation Market invites you every Sunday in Paris's 14th arrondissement. Painting, sculpture, photography, engraving and ceramics. Every Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. And what if your stroll led you to meet artists? [Read more]
Simone Fattal and Her Mythologies: A Retrospective Exhibition at Paris's Museum of Modern Art
The MAM Paris presents "Cities at the Bottom of a Lake," the first Paris-based monographic exhibition dedicated to Simone Fattal. From September 18, 2026 to January 24, 2027, visitors can admire the paintings, ceramics, collages, and books that span more than five decades of her work. [Read more]
Exhibition: Kerry James Marshall — a storytelling painter to discover at the Paris Museum of Modern Art
The American artist Kerry James Marshall is in the spotlight at the Museum of Modern Art: his exhibition "The Histories" examines the place of African Americans in U.S. history. A major exhibition not to be missed, running from September 18, 2026 to January 24, 2027. [Read more]
Divine Light at Saint-Eustache: an art installation will illuminate the alcoves of the church façade in Paris.
Craving a free cultural and artistic outing in the heart of Paris? Starting October 8, 2026 and running through spring 2027, the Saint-Eustache Church in the Halles district will host « Lumière Divine », an original creation by Jiang Qiong Er. [Read more]
Sow Our Resistances: An Activist Exhibition Free to Visit at the Maif Social Club
Contemporary artists imagine fairer, more sustainable futures in the exhibition Semons nos résistances, which is free to visit at the Maif Social Club from 17 October 2026 to 24 July 2027. [Read more]
KABRALA: Ai Huang's photographic exhibition at La Lison Gallery in Paris
La Lison gallery hosts KABRALA, Ai Huang's first solo exhibition in France, running from September 3 to October 10, 2026. Located in Paris's 10th arrondissement, this series of silver-gelatin self-portraits explores the body, identity, and the transformations of images produced in the darkroom. [Read more]
Le Large opens its doors on Île Seguin with the Imaginary Engine exhibition.
The Imaginary Engine exhibition opens Large, the new contemporary art center on Île Seguin in Boulogne-Billancourt. Masterpieces from the Renault collection and brand-new creations respond to one another from October 17, 2026, to March 7, 2027. [Read more]
Pavlov's Dogs: Johan Creten's free exhibition at Galerie Perrotin in September
Johan Creten revitalizes aging machines at Galerie Perrotin. In "The Pavlov Dogs," the Belgian artist fuses family memories, ceramics, bronzes, and obsolete computers to probe our automatisms in a free, open exhibition you can discover in the Marais from September 5 to October 10, 2026. [Read more]
Cosmofania at the Abbey of Maubuisson: a contemporary art exhibition exploring the sacred and the unseen
The Abbey of Maubuisson, in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône in the Val-d’Oise, hosts Cosmofania, a collective exhibition exploring the sacred, rituals, memory, and the unseen worlds, from October 11, 2026, to February 21, 2027. Thirteen artists take over the former Cistercian abbey with installations, photographs, sculptures, sound works, and multiple performances. [Read more]
Lionel Sabatté Exhibition at the Museum of Hunting and Nature: when animals reclaim their wild side
The Museum of Hunting and Nature in Paris presents the exhibition "What Remains" by Lionel Sabatté, running from October 15, 2026, to February 21, 2027. Paintings, sculptures, drawings and tapestries explore the animal figure, materiality, and the cycles of life. [Read more]
Villeglé exhibition at Carnavalet: Paris, torn from the streets and urban art
The "Paris à l'arraché" exhibition celebrates Jacques Villeglé's centenary at the Musée Carnavalet, in the Marais, from 14 October 2026 to 14 February 2027. Torn posters, audio archives, and unseen documents trace 70 years of urban art in Paris. [Read more]
This medieval troglodyte castle in Val-d'Oise hides a giant dragon.
A giant dragon in a troglodyte medieval castle? That's what you'll be able to see during La Vie de Château, the château's contemporary art exhibition at Château de la Roche-Guyon in the Val d'Oise, running from June 20 to November 1, 2026. [Read more]
Descriptive contemporary artworks take up residence in this superb medieval castle in the Val d'Oise.
Resident artists take over the Château de La Roche-Guyon in Val-d'Oise with new works and installations that blend sculpture, sound, and a fantastical menagerie. So we’re off to discover this immersive contemporary exhibition from June 20 to November 1, 2026. We’ve already had a sneak peek at a few pieces and can’t wait to see what else is in store. [Read more]
Just outside Paris, a free exhibition takes up residence in France’s largest cemetery.
Artworks will take over France’s largest cemetery from May 30 to November 15, 2026, as part of the Demeure exhibition. To discover it, head to the gates of Paris, at the Parisian Pantin Cemetery, conveniently accessible by metro. [Read more]
Heritage in Resistance: From Timbuktu to Odessa, an Exhibition at the City of Architecture.
Sponsored - In Paris, the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine presents the exhibition Patrimoines en résistance : de Tombouctou à Odessa, running from May 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, a look at heritage in wartime, where destruction, safeguarding, and rebuilding come into play. [Read more]
Exhibition Through the Ages: Bulgarian Traditional Costumes
Sponsored - Paris hosts a collection of authentic pieces, testifying to another era and to traditional craftsmanship. Head to the Bulgarian Cultural Institute through November 20, 2026. [Read more]
Silent Storytellers: Female Sculptors Share Their Journeys in a New Exhibition at Espace Monte-Cristo
The Monte-Cristo Space will host several female sculptors from April 18 to December 13, 2026, offering free access to the exhibition titled "Speakers of Silence." [Read more]
The Hangar Y's contemporary open-air exhibition is back! An artistic stroll in the green
The Hangar Y, which conceals a 10-hectare natural area planted with trees, offers a year-round open-air art walk, free on weekdays and €3 with access to the Hangar on weekends. Since April 28, 2025, new works have been added to the circuit. From Erwin Wurm and Lionel Sabatte to Pauline Tralongo and Odile Decq, it's time for an unusual, unplugged stroll through the heart of the Hauts-de-Seine. [Read more]
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Art Basel Paris 2026: a memory-themed installation at the Chapelle des Petits-Augustins
The Chapelle des Petits-Augustins of Beaux-Arts de Paris is taking part in the new edition of Art Basel Paris, offering a free, off-site installation to be discovered from 20 to 25 October 2026. [Read more]
Louise Bourgeois Exhibition at the BnF: Drawings, Engravings and Nerves Laid Bare
The BnF Richelieu in Paris presents the exhibition "Louise Bourgeois. Extreme Tension," devoted to the drawings and prints by the Franco-American artist, from October 20, 2026 to February 21, 2027. A landmark gathering of the BnF’s holdings with those of the Centre Pompidou. [Read more]
Women sculptors honored in Prune Nourry's Visionaries exhibition at the Petit Palais
Artist Prune Nourry is set to spotlight forgotten women sculptors in the history of art with an exhibition at the Petit Palais, running from October 20, 2026 to January 24, 2027. [Read more]
I saw: Jenny Holzer’s luminous exhibition that makes words come alive at the Orsay Museum this fall
Words Take Over the Orsay Museum, Transforming the Space into a Luminous Stage. From October 20, 2026, to February 21, 2027, the exhibition "I Have Seen" by Jenny Holzer invites visitors to explore a dialogue between letters, political texts, and literary writings alongside the museum's iconic collections. Through projections, LED installations, and engravings, the exhibit immerses visitors in a captivating experience where past and present resonate anew, offering a fresh perspective. [Read more]
Art Basel Paris 2026: Contemporary artworks transform Winston Churchill Avenue
Winston Churchill Avenue, which separates the Petit Palais from the Grand Palais, becomes an open-air museum from October 20 to 25, 2026, as part of Art Basel Paris's artistic program. Discover the works selected for this year. [Read more]
Art Basel 2026: a quirky menagerie settles into the Petit Palais — discover the free exhibition
The Petit Palais hosts a free and unconventional contemporary art exhibition, from October 20 to 25, 2026, as part of the off-site programming of the Art Basel Paris fair. [Read more]
Art Basel Paris 2026: cinema, dance, sculpture... Alice Diop and Miu Miu take over the Palais d’Iéna
Cinema, photography, sculpture, literature, dance and performance are on display at the Palais d’Iéna for Art Basel Paris 2026. Miu Miu presents "Geste de Consolation", the debut exhibition by Alice Diop, running October 21–25. [Read more]
Harvest Time: A major exhibition to discover this autumn at the Cartier Foundation
The Cartier Foundation welcomes artist Ibrahim Mahama and his Ghanaian collaborators for a major exhibition running from 22 October 2026 to 28 February 2027. [Read more]
Théo Mercier and Thomas Houseago: a free joint exhibition at Reiffers Initiatives
This fall, Reiffers Initiatives shines a spotlight on two rising contemporary artists. Head to Paris’s 17th arrondissement to explore the artistic worlds of British sculptor Thomas Houseago and French artist Théo Mercier in a joint, free exhibition not to be missed from October 23 to December 12, 2026. [Read more]
Oli's Imaginary Museum: the immersive and sensory exhibition by the artist at the Grand Palais
Oli, the iconic figure of the rap scene, makes his Grand Palais debut in an intimate artistic odyssey. Immerse yourself in a sweeping sensory and sonic journey where the artist reveals the backstage workings of the creative mind, starting December 2, 2026. [Read more]
Girls, adolescence, fashion and rebellion: the multifaceted exhibition at the Grand Palais
Artists, fashion designers, filmmakers and photographers explore the rich, expansive world of girls’ adolescence in the exhibition Girls, opening at the Grand Palais from December 9, 2026 to March 21, 2027. [Read more]
Mika Ninagawa: The pop, poetic universe of the Japanese artist on display at the Grand Palais
Le Grand Palais invites Mika Ninagawa and her collective of associate creators EiM for an unprecedented European exhibition, titled "Alive with Shadows." From 16 December 2026 to 21 March 2027, discover the pop, poetic world of this leading figure in Japanese visual arts. [Read more]
