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!
Javier Calleja's characters at Almine Rech Gallery Paris — final days of the free exhibition
Big-eyed characters, punchy phrases, and a cabinet-of-curiosities kind of hang: Javier Calleja unveils CURIOUSLY, his new free exhibition at the Almine Rech gallery in Paris, running May 30 through July 25, 2026. [Read more]
Summer Fireworks: the summer group exhibition at the Goldshteyn-Saatort Gallery
Goldshteyn-Saatort Gallery presents Summer Fireworks, a group exhibition uniting artists from Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the Netherlands. Located on rue de Verneuil in Paris’s 7th arrondissement, it runs from July 15 to September 15, 2026, with August closed. [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]
Chuck Sperry unveils his Archetypes in a free exhibition at the Art Generation gallery — our photos
His screen prints and concert posters have toured the world: discover Chuck Sperry’s work through the Archetypes exhibition, on view free of charge at the Art Generation gallery from June 13 to August 1, 2026. [Read more]
Exhibition: Camille Vivier in a retrospective at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie
The European House of Photography is devoting a major retrospective to French artist Camille Vivier, a figure in contemporary photography as arresting as she is powerful. The exhibition runs from June 10 to September 13, 2026. [Read more]
Bodygraphie: an exhibition that explores the body and social norms at La Lison Gallery
The Bodygraphie exhibition by Valentina Peruch explores the body, social norms, and perception at La Lison gallery in Paris, from June 11 to July 31, 2026. A project blending performance, live drawing, photography, and charcoal drawing. [Read more]
We, Shivers of Stardust: a contemporary immersive installation at the Grand Palais
The artist Laure Prouvost blends art and science in an installation that awakens our senses. Discover the exhibition Nous, frissons d'étoile, from June 10 to July 26, 2026 at the Grand Palais. [Read more]
Global Inversion Inversion: Lassana Sarre shines a light on the security staff at the Palais de Tokyo
The Palais de Tokyo unveils Globale Inversion Inversion, an on-site work by Lassana Sarre dedicated to the security teams of the art center in Paris, on view since June 5, 2026. The painter redirects attention to the people who greet, watch over, and accompany the public each day. [Read more]
Raza Odiada nunca muere: Neïla Czermak Ichti explores family legacies at the Palais de Tokyo
The Palais de Tokyo presents "Raza Odiada nunca muere," an exhibition by Neïla Czermak Ichti devoted to family memory in Paris, from June 5 to September 13, 2026. A journey through intimate storytelling, heritage, and transmission. [Read more]
Fujiko Nakaya unveils an unusual and contemplative fog sculpture at the Bourse de Commerce
This summer, the Rotonde of the Bourse de Commerce in Paris hosts one of the renowned fog sculptures by Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya. Visit until September 14, 2026 to experience this unusual, contemplative installation that makes visitors appear and vanish within a thick white cloud of water vapor! [Read more]
Leandro Erlich at the Grand Palais: the exhibition that reshapes how we perceive reality — our photos
The Grand Palais is dedicating a retrospective to Leandro Erlich, touted as the largest exhibition of the artist in Europe! Mark your calendars from June 2 to September 6, 2026 to explore Erlich's singular universe, renowned for installations that blur our bearings and reshape our sense of public space. [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]
Simulacres: the free exhibition at Magasins Généraux (93) that blurs the lines between reality and illusion.
Reality takes on a slight blur in Pantin, at the Magasins Généraux, from June 25 to September 27, 2026. With the free exhibition “Simulacres,” certainties falter and images sometimes hold the upper hand. Here, seeing isn’t always enough to understand. [Read more]
Lélia Demoisy at Domaine de Chamarande: an exhibition exploring forest narratives — our photos
At the Domaine départemental de Chamarande in Essonne, Lélia Demoisy presents a contemporary art exhibition devoted to the forest, to living beings, and to the traces left by matter, running from May 10 to August 30, 2026. With Récits de forêts, the artist unfolds sculptures and installations within a sensitive journey around the memory of woods and landscapes. [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]
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. [Read more]
Origins: an exhibition that probes discrimination at the Museum of the History of Immigration
Contemporary art challenges racism and discrimination in a groundbreaking exhibition on display at the National Museum of the History of Immigration, from June 5 to August 23, 2026. [Read more]
Open-air exhibition of Theodoulos Gregoriou's sculptures in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré district
Faubourg Saint-Honoré is rewritten as an open-air gallery with a free, outdoor exhibition in Paris, where time is carved in layered strata. From April 28 to July 27, 2026, the sculptures by Cypriot artist Theodoulos Gregoriou for "Cyprus on Faubourg Saint-Honoré" invite memory and contemporary creation to converse in the heart of the 1st arrondissement, between reinvented ruins and today’s sculptural language. [Read more]
The Cherqui Foundation: the kinetic art museum just outside Paris!
Sponsored - The Cherqui Foundation is a true museum, housing a private collection of 5,000 optical and kinetic artworks that opens to the public. The collector Jean Cherqui's grandson leads guided tours through the heart of his grandfather's vast collection. Discover the upcoming dates! The museum is open during the summer holidays. [Read more]
Annette Messager at the Museum of Hunting and Nature: An Exhibition Exploring the Relationship Between Animals and Humans
The Museum of Hunting and Nature in Paris is presenting a groundbreaking exhibition by artist Annette Messager, focused on animal imagery and its artistic reimagining. Running from April 14 to September 20, 2026, the show is titled "A Swallow Doesn't Make Spring." It features a mix of installations, hybrid artworks, and iconic pieces that engage in a compelling dialogue with the museum's existing collections. [Read more]
Inkarna: our photos from Yosra Mojtahedi's exhibition at Maubuisson Abbey
L’Abbaye de Maubuisson, in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, Val-d’Oise, presents from 12 April to 30 August 2026 the contemporary art exhibition Inkarna, the metamorphoses of the sacred, curated by Yosra Mojtahedi with Elsa Guillaume and Magdalena Abakanowicz. In this journey, the sacred, the body, matter and the transformations of the living engage in dialogue within a heritage site dedicated to contemporary creation. [Read more]
In Paris, the Picasso Museum is dedicating an exhibition to Henry Taylor — our photos
In Paris, the Picasso-Paris Museum is presenting an exhibition devoted to Henry Taylor running from April 8 to September 6, 2026. Through portraits and a number of works, the American artist probes collective memory and brings his painting into dialogue with Picasso’s work. Conceptualized with the artist, the parcours unfolds through the museum’s galleries. [Read more]
Pauline Curnier Jardin at the Palais de Tokyo: an exhibition about myths and bodies — our photos
The Palais de Tokyo in Paris presents a monographic exhibition by Pauline Curnier Jardin from April 3 to September 13, 2026. Through installations, films, and performances, the French artist explores rituals, gender, and representations of the body in a sensory journey that brings together major works and recent creations, in collaboration with Madrid’s Museo Reina Sofía. [Read more]
Joseph Grigely at the Palais de Tokyo: an exhibition on cultural accessibility — our photos
The Palais de Tokyo in Paris presents We’re Here – This is where we are, an exhibition by Joseph Grigely to be unveiled from April 3 to September 13, 2026. A deaf artist, Joseph Grigely stages in a museum space that is notoriously hard to access to question architectural accessibility in cultural institutions. Through visual works and a risograph publication, he highlights how spaces are designed and how they are actually traversed by visitors. [Read more]
At the Palais de Tokyo, Cheryl Marie Wade explores crip culture and engaged poetry — our photos
The Palais de Tokyo in Paris presents a group exhibition centered on Cheryl Marie Wade’s poems, running from April 3 to September 13, 2026. A tribute to a key figure of Berkeley’s crip scene, the show unites archives, performances, and installations to give voice to a form of poetry that is at once political and militant, deeply tied to the history of disability. [Read more]
Cathy de Monchaux at the Palais de Tokyo: the retrospective to see in Paris — our photos
The Palais de Tokyo, in Paris, presents the first retrospective in France of British artist Cathy de Monchaux, titled "Studio, Wounds and Battles. Desire is the Reiteration of Hope", running from 3 April to 13 September 2026. The exhibition brings together nearly fifty works and revisits four decades of creation, exploring the body, materials and intimate narratives. [Read more]
Benoît Piéron at the Palais de Tokyo: an exhibition about care and vulnerability — our photos
The Palais de Tokyo in Paris presents an exhibition by Benoît Piéron, titled Vernis à Ombres, running from April 3 to September 13, 2026. Through sculptures and installations inspired by the hospital world, the artist explores care, waiting, and fragility, blending medical forms, sensory experiences, and reflections on vulnerability. [Read more]
Jesse Darling at the Palais de Tokyo: an exhibition balancing memory and forgotten narratives — our photos
The Palais de Tokyo in Paris is presenting an exhibition devoted to British artist Jesse Darling, winner of the 2023 Turner Prize, titled The Ambassadors, on view from April 3 to September 13, 2026. Through large installations crafted from salvaged materials and everyday objects, the artist examines the fragility of the frameworks, reference points, and systems that organize our lives. [Read more]
Chiaroscuro: the Exhibition Exploring Shadow and Light at the Bourse de Commerce - Our Photos
On the occasion of its latest exhibition titled "Chiaroscuro," the Bourse de Commerce transforms into a landscape that is both luminous and dusk-like. Until August 24, 2026, visitors can explore around a hundred works from the Pinault Collection, featuring pieces by Pierre Huyghe, Victor Man, Bill Viola, Laura Lamiel, Jean Dubuffet, Alberto Giacometti, Germaine Richier, as well as Yves Tanguy and Wolfgang Tillmans. [Read more]
Me and Others: An Exhibition Exploring Our Digital Lives at the EDF Foundation
Contemporary artists are delving into our digital lives and identities through the exhibition Me and Others, showcased free of charge at the EDF Foundation from March 13 to September 27, 2026. [Read more]
Colors of Korea: free contemporary art exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris, photos
The Korean Cultural Center unveils the exhibition "Couleurs de Corée, Lumière sur l'art contemporain coréen", on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea, from October 24, 2025 to August 29, 2026. This free exhibition presents a unique immersion in Korean art, illustrating the work of 34 artists who blend tradition and innovation through the power of color. [Read more]
General Exhibition: the Fondation Cartier recounts 40 years of exhibitions for its reopening
The Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain is reopening its doors in a new location in the heart of Paris with a new exhibition: from October 25, 2025, to August 23, 2026, discover the General Exhibition. [Read more]
Voir la mer: a free contemporary exhibition at the Maif Social Club - photos
Contemporary artists draw inspiration from the oceans to create original works, sometimes amusing, sometimes disturbing... Come and discover the Voir la mer exhibition, presented at the Maif Social Club from October 11, 2025 to July 25, 2026. [Read more]
L'Étoffe des Rêves, the exhibition at Halle Saint-Pierre
From September 12, 2025 to July 31, 2026, La Halle Saint Pierre presents "L'étoffe des rêves", a groundbreaking exhibition featuring 36 artists and over 300 textile works ranging from art brut to surrealism and poetic experimentation. [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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ABC Dictionary: Exploring the Arctic Through Inuit Art — The Contemporary Exhibition at Art Inuit Gallery
Inuit artists share their lives and culture from the Arctic through an artistic alphabet, available for free at the Art Inuit Gallery from March 26 to August 31, 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]
This contemporary art exhibition is set to occupy the Arc de Triomphe’s interior in September.
The Arc de Triomphe hosts "La Tempête," the new exhibition by Jérémy Pradier-Jeauneau, from September 9 to October 4, 2026. The artist unfolds an artistic journey through sculpture, installations and design, up to the monument’s parapet, which will be exceptionally accessible to visitors. [Read more]
Paris Design Week 2026: six leading designers reinvent ancestral paper at the Hôtel de la Marine
Hanji, the traditional Korean paper crafted for more than a thousand years, is taking the spotlight at the Hôtel de la Marine for Paris Design Week 2026. From September 10 to 27, the HANJIMANIA exhibition brings together French designers and Korean masters of craft for a show of new works that fuse furniture, lighting, and ancestral know-how. [Read more]
Simone Fattal exhibition at MAM Paris: myths, exile and submerged cities
The MAM Paris presents "Des villes au fond d’un lac," the first Paris-based monographic exhibition devoted to Simone Fattal, running from 18 September 2026 to 24 January 2027. Paintings, ceramics, collages, and books trace more than five decades of her work. [Read more]
Kerry James Marshall reveals his stories in an exhibition at the Paris Museum of Modern Art.
American artist Kerry James Marshall is in the spotlight at the Museum of Modern Art: his exhibition The Histories explores the place of African Americans in U.S. history. On view from September 18, 2026 to January 24, 2027. [Read more]
Hassan Hajjaj: My rock stars, the colorful portraits by the contemporary artist on display at the Music Museum
Hassan Hajjaj, the renowned contemporary artist and photographer who draws on his Moroccan heritage and multiculturalism, unveils his colorful, playful portraits in an unprecedented exhibition to be seen at the Museum of Music from September 22, 2026 to April 25, 2027. For the occasion, the group Acid Arab will present a sound piece that engages with the exhibition. [Read more]
Street Art Madeleine II, the free exhibition featuring more than 100 artists at the Madeleine Church
The free Street Art Madeleine II exhibition takes over the crypt of the Church of La Madeleine in Paris, from October 1 to 11, 2026. More than 100 street artists and nearly 200 original works come together underground to celebrate the release of Codex Urbanus’s Petit Atlas du Street Art. [Read more]
Cosmofania: the contemporary art exhibition exploring the sacred at Maubuisson Abbey
The Abbey of Maubuisson presents Cosmofania, a collective exhibition of contemporary art devoted to the sacred, spirituality, and the invisible realms, in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône in the Val-d’Oise, from October 11, 2026 to February 21, 2027. An artistic journey that explores rituals, states of consciousness, and perceptual experiences within this historic Ile-de-France monument. [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]
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 Lionel Sabatté's exhibition "Ce qui reste" from October 15, 2026 to March 21, 2027. Paintings, sculptures, drawings and tapestries explore the animal figure, matter, and the cycles of life. [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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
