Paris and the surrounding area are home to numerous museums, foundations and cultural institutions. So many, in fact, that they can even be grouped by theme: fashion museums ,contemporary art museums, military museums , children's museums , science museums...
And that's not counting the art galleries! As you can see, the Paris region is a fertile playground for those who loveart and culture.
All these cultural venues regularly organize temporary exhibitions, to honor an artist, explore a theme, question a subject... With these exhibitions, museums enrich our knowledge and stimulate our curiosity. And it's up to us to make the most of them!
Weekends are often busy in Paris. There's no question, however, of missing the exhibition you like because the program is too full! So this Thursday, we're taking a moment to ourselves, and heading off to the region's museums and monuments, to discover a lovely exhibition. Discover the artistic events of the moment, to be seen in the art venues of Paris and Île-de-France.
Galerie Kiff & Marais: A showroom and exhibition space
Sponsored - Join us at the Kiff & Marais Gallery: a hub for exhibitions, events, workshops, and live music. A gallery in the heart of the Marais where a variety of events and group exhibitions are hosted in the 3rd arrondissement! Every Thursday evening, come to the openings at the Kiff & Marais Gallery. From May 27 to 31, discover Art Brut, an exhibition that blends painting, drawing, collage, and sculpture at the Kiff & Marais Gallery. [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]
The Paris Museum of Illusions—this spring’s must-see destination!
Sponsored - The Museum of Illusions, located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris within the Châtelet-Les Halles district, welcomes families and friends alike. Get ready for a one-of-a-kind, exciting adventure as you delve into the captivating world of illusions, where your senses will be completely challenged... And for the first time, the museum is launching enchanting evening sessions. [Read more]
Primordial Water: the Louvre’s exhibition exploring Mesopotamian myths — our photos
The Louvre Museum in Paris presents The Primordial Water, an exhibition on water in ancient Mesopotamia, running from May 20, 2026 to March 15, 2027. Archaeological artifacts, myths, and irrigation show how this resource shaped the region’s earliest societies. [Read more]
Common Worlds: the Albert-Kahn Departmental Museum’s Contemporary Photography Festival.
From May 20 to September 20, 2026, the Albert-Kahn Departmental Museum shines a spotlight on contemporary photography for the new edition of its festival, Mondes en commun. [Read more]
Everyone's chasing their cat: the exhibition exploring the many facets of the feline at Fluctuart — our photos
"Everybody’s Searching for Their Cat," that’s the name of the new free exhibition at Fluctuart. Mark your calendars from May 7 to August 23, 2026, to admire works by about ten artists rooted in urban art. For the occasion, Madame, Kraken, Ardif, and Wenna explore the many facets of the feline that fascinates us. [Read more]
Silla: Gold and the Sacred: The historical exhibition of Korea's royal treasures at the Guimet Museum
Explore the history of South Korea with the Guimet Museum's exhibition: it unveils ancient treasures from the Silla Kingdom, in "Silla: Gold and the Sacred," on display from May 20 to August 31, 2026. [Read more]
Ne Pas Toucher: a free, interactive, and socially engaged exhibition lands in the Marais
"Ne Pas Toucher", it's the paradoxical exhibition awaiting you in the heart of Paris from May 21 to 24, 2026. Here, several interactive works are free to discover, in an engaged artistic approach. Here's how it works. [Read more]
Fashion in all its majesty: the Haute Couture exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs unfolds — our photos
The Decorative Arts Museum hosts Fashion in Majesty: Haute Couture and Tradition at the Thai court from May 13 to November 1, 2026. Through more than a hundred outfits, accessories, and textile pieces drawn from the royal family's collections, the exhibition shows how Queen Sirikit modernized Thai ceremonial dress while preserving its traditional codes, notably through her collaboration with Pierre Balmain and Maison Lesage. [Read more]
This two-part fashion exhibition, a marquee event, has been extended until mid-May 2026 — our photos
Since November 20, 2025, the Dior Gallery has been hosting an entirely new exhibition bringing together more than a hundred pieces from Azzedine Alaïa’s collection. Extended to May 17, 2026, this event echoes a second exhibition presented at the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation from December 1, 2025, and on view until June 21, 2026. Together, these two showcases celebrate the captivating dialogue between Dior and Alaïa, while highlighting the Tunisian couturier’s deep admiration for the mythical New Look. [Read more]
The Art and History Museum of Sainte-Anne Hospital showcases the emblematic works by artist-patients.
Did you know? Sainte-Anne Hospital, in Paris's 14th arrondissement, houses a museum of art and history. From April 16 to July 26, 2026, it unveils an exhibition spotlighting the emblematic works by artist-patients, including Aloïse Corbaz, Unica Zürn, Guillaume Pujolle, Maurice Blin, and Caroline Macdonald. [Read more]
The Navy and the painters: a splendid exhibition of maritime paintings at the Navy Museum - photos
The Maritime Museum puts the spotlight on painters who helped shape the history of the French Navy across four centuries, with an exhibition of paintings on view from May 13 to August 2, 2026. [Read more]
Paradise Feathers: An Invitation to Travel to Papua New Guinea, from the Quai Branly
The Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum in Paris is hosting the exhibition Feathers of Paradise from May 12 to November 8, 2026. Dedicated to the birds of paradise from New Guinea, this showcase features nearly 190 items—including adornments, paintings, preserved specimens, fashion objects, and illustrated books. The exhibit takes visitors on a journey through five centuries of fascination with these spectacular creatures, weaving together perspectives from art, science, ethnology, and ecology. [Read more]
Noa Eshkol at the mahJ: contemporary dance and textile compositions in the Marais
Sponsored - Le mahJ dedicates an exhibition to Noa Eshkol, a pioneer of contemporary dance and a textile artist, from April 16 to August 30, 2026 in Paris. Join us at the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme in Paris's 3rd arrondissement. [Read more]
Coastal Bodies: Camille Guichard's exhibition at the Rachel Hardouin Gallery
The Rachel Hardouin Gallery highlights Camille Guichard with Corps littoral, her first solo exhibition in Paris, running May 21 to June 21, 2026. Blending contemporary photography, poetic texts, bodies and the coastline, the artist examines our relationship with the living world. [Read more]
A free permanent exhibition dedicated to the art of perfumery takes over a former Parisian theatre.
Set in a former theatre in the heart of Paris, just steps from the Opéra Garnier, Fragonard’s perfume house has reopened the doors to its Théâtre du Parfum, a historic museum dedicated to the art of perfumery. Here’s what to expect. [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]
Jardins des Lumières: an exhibition on the art of garden design at the Grand Trianon, Palace of Versailles
At the Grand Trianon of the Palace of Versailles, in Yvelines, the exhibition Jardins des Lumières (1750-1800) delves into the art of the landscape garden through nearly 160 works, including paintings, models, drawings, and furniture. Go see it from May 5 to September 27, 2026, and take the opportunity to explore the Trianon gardens and the Queen's Hamlet. [Read more]
SHEROES.1: A Bold Collective Exhibition at L’Aiguillage in Paris
Sponsored - The L’Aiguillage cultural space hosts SHEROES.1, a multimedia collective exhibition centered on women who have been rendered invisible, running from March 28 to May 5, 2026, as part of International Women's Rights Day.
A closing-night reception will be held on May 5 from 6:30 p.m., with video screenings starting at 8 p.m. [Read more]
Forest Tales: Lélia Demoisy's exhibition at Domaine de Chamarande
Lélia Demoisy presents Tales from the Forests, a contemporary art exhibition at the Domaine départemental de Chamarande in the Essonne department, running from May 10 to August 30, 2026. The exhibition journey traverses the forest, living beings, and the memory of materials through sculptures and installations. [Read more]
This free exhibition celebrates the Monogram’s 130th anniversary with a selection of exceptional trunks in Paris.
In Paris, some exhibitions are worth a detour. To mark the 130th anniversary of Louis Vuitton's Monogram canvas, Gros & Delettrez unveils a rare selection of trunks and travel goods from May 19 to 21, 2026. Three days to discover them for free, before they go up for auction. [Read more]
Jonk & Friends: the exhibition that blends street art and photography at the Nature Forte Gallery
This spring, photographer Jonk invited 13 of his fellow artists to contribute to his photographs. The exhibition, simply titled "Jonk & Friends," is on view for free at Galerie Nature Forte from May 7 to June 6, 2026. [Read more]
“Trading in the Unknown” : the exhibition marking the new edition of the Reiffers Initiatives Prize
Sponsored - Discover the fifth edition of the Reiffers Initiatives Prize with the exhibition "Trafficking the Unknown," which spotlights the French emerging scene. A must-see in contemporary art, the exhibition brings together each year, since 2021, a curated selection of artists chosen by the Reiffers Initiatives artistic committee. Admission is free and open to everyone. [Read more]
Got some free time this Thursday? Here are a few ideas for outings in the capital.
What to do this Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Paris and Île-de-France
What activities to do this Thursday, May 21, 2026? Sortiraparis brings you daily ideas for doing things solo, as a couple, with family, or with friends in Paris and Île-de-France. Click here to discover our picks for what’s in store this Thursday. [Read more]
What to do this Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Paris and Île-de-France
