Paris Photo is the world’s leading photography fair, and this year’s edition is no exception. The fair will feature a wide range of modern and contemporary photography.
In addition, Offprint Paris and Festival d’Automne are also taking place.
If you want to add a few local shows to your plans, there are plenty in the surrounding arrondissements. So whether you’re a seasoned art collector or a curious visitor, there’s something for everyone in Paris this week.
Exhibitions to see when you are in the city this week are Kehinde Wiley, Mike Kelley, Henry Taylor, and Issy Wood. Kelley’s exhibition will feature a selection of his iconic sculptures, paintings, and installations, while Wiley’s focuses on his work from the last decade.
Paris Photo
Photo Paris is a photography fair taking place this weekend, November 9-12th at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris. The fair will feature over 150 galleries from around the world, presenting a wide range of contemporary photography.
In addition to the gallery exhibitions, Photo Paris will also feature several special events, including talks, performances, and screenings. Tickets for Photo Paris are available online or at the door.
Paris Photo | Nov 9th-12th | Grand Palais Éphémère in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France | Tickets
Offprint Paris
Offprint Paris is a free contemporary art fair this weekend, November 9-12, 2023, at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal in Paris, France. The fair will feature a selection of galleries from around the world and many special events and programming.
A highlight of the fair is the multitude of book signings. The specific hosted discussions are interesting, including one hosted by Mélanie Blaison, Martha Salimbeni, and Sabrina Soyer on becoming a self-managed publishing house set up by a collective of artists and writers committed to feminist practices.
The fair is open to the public, and admission is free.
Offprint Paris | Nov 9th-12th | Pavillon de l’Arsenal in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France | Free Admission
Kehinde Wiley: A Maze of Power at Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
The Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac is near the Eiffel Tower, near Paris Photo. Kehinde Wiley’s ‘A Maze of Power’ is on display at the museum until January 14th, 2024.
‘A Maze of Power’ is a series of portraits of African heads of state that explores the nature of power. Wiley has been working on this project since 2012. The paintings reinterpret representations of power and prestige in the history of portrait painting.
Wiley has continuously traveled to Africa during the last decade to meet with various heads of state. He developed a composition with each leader that illustrates their unique view of what it means to be a contemporary African leader.
The portraits reflect the distinctive cultural elements of each state, revealing an individual’s identity through the dual prism of the artist and his model. These monumental paintings expose the contours of ego and the varied communication strategies involved in building a personal and public image.
Kehinde Wiley: A Maze of Power at Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac | Sep 26, 2023 – Jan 14, 2024 | 37 Quai Jacques Chirac in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France | Tickets
Henry Taylor’s From Shit to Sugar at Hauser & Wirth
Henry Taylor, a Los Angeles-based artist, inaugurates Hauser & Wirth’s Paris location with a solo exhibition, ‘From Shit to Sugar,’ until April 2nd, 2024. Taylor draws on historical and contemporary references to create personal, complex works that comment on Black America.
The exhibition includes work from his residency at the gallery this past June and July. He was inspired by the city’s unparalleled collection of historical art, such as the Musée d’Orsay, which houses the work of French Impressionists, Expressionists, and Fauvists who have inspired him since childhood.
You can read more about the exhibition in the article ‘Hauser & Wirth Paris Will Open With A Henry Taylor Solo Exhibition During Paris+ Par Art Basel.’
Henry Taylor’s ‘From Shit to Sugar’ at Hauser & Wirth | Oct 18, 2023 – Apr 2, 2024 | 26 bis rue François 1er in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France | Free
Installation to See Near Avenue Matignon
Following Brexit, galleries have relocated or opened new branches in Paris as their EU headquarters. The historical art capital has been revitalized as mega galleries and renowned art fairs have returned their focus to Paris.
Many blue-chip galleries have chosen the 8th arrondissement, particularly around the Elysée Palace and Avenue Matignon, which has not had large galleries in eighty years.
After seeing Henry Taylor at Hauser & Wirth, you can stroll northeast towards Tadashi Kawamata’s installation ‘Nest in Liaigre’ on the facade of 77 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré as the address is at the top of the gallery district.
Kawamata’s sculpture will be installed until December 12th and explores the relationship between art, architecture, design, and environmental concerns.
Tadashi Kawamata’s ‘Nest in Liaigre’ | Oct 10, 2023 – Mar 25, 2024 | 77 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France | Free
Mike Kelly’s ‘Ghost and Spirit’ at Bourse de Commerce Pinault Collection
The Bourse de Commerce Pinault Collection is hosting a solo exhibition of works by Mike Kelley until February 19th, 2024. The collection is close to Les Halles, a large metro connection in the first arrondissement, and not far from the Musée du Louvre.
Mike Kelley: Ghost and Spirit is France’s first major retrospective of the American artist’s work. The exhibition features over 100 works, including sculptures, drawings, photographs, and preparatory writings.
Kelley was a groundbreaking artist who explored many themes, including childhood, trauma, and the American Dream. His work is characterized by its dark humor, subcultural references, and tension between the depth of critical thinking and the apparent superficiality of a pop aesthetic.
The exhibition is titled ‘Ghost and Spirit’ in reference to Kelley’s words. In a note for a performance never performed in the early 1980s, he wondered about the difference between a ghost and a spirit: the first disappears when the second persists. He thought he was a ghost, and yet his spirit still lingers, particularly amongst the younger generations of artists.
Kelley was a visionary artist who explored notions that are still relevant today in the heat of contemporary debates: collective and individual memory, gender relations, and social classes. He was particularly interested in how familial and institutional power structures within postmodern capitalist American society shape individual subjectivity.
Tate Modern, Pinault Collection, K21 — Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, and Moderna Museet organized the exhibition. Catherine Wood, Fiontán Moran, and Jean-Marie Gallais curated it for Bourse de Commerce.
Mike Kelly’s ‘Ghost and Spirit’ at Bourse de Commerce Pinault Collection | Oct 12, 2023 – Feb 19, 2024 | 2 Rue de Viarmes in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France | Tickets
Issy Wood’s Study for No at Lafayette Anticipations
Lafayette Anticipations – Fondation Galeries Lafayette, located just east of Les Halles in the Le Marais neighborhood, is presenting Issy Wood’s ‘Study For No.’
The solo exhibition of paintings, drawings, and music explores refusal and resistance. Wood’s work is intimate, corrosive, and humorous, dealing with power dynamics, oppression, and rejection.
Bold colors and geometric shapes often characterize Wood’s paintings. Her drawings are similarly expressive, with a focus on line and form. Wood’s music is experimental and eclectic, drawing on a variety of genres and influences.
Through her work, Wood explores how we can resist and refuse the dominant narratives that shape our lives. She challenges us to think critically about the power structures around us and imagine new possibilities for ourselves and the world.
Issy Wood’s ‘Study fo No’ at Lafayette Anticipations – Fondation Galeries Lafayette | | Oct 18, 2023 – Apr 2, 2024 | 9, rue du Plâtre F in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France | Free
Festival d’Automne
The Festival d’Automne à Paris is held throughout the city from September to December. They partner with cultural institutions to host events, so there are a multitude of venues, including Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe, the MC93, the Centre Pompidou, Nanterre-Amandiers, the Théâtre de Chelles, the Philharmonie de Paris, the CENTQUATRE-Paris, and the Théâtre de Gennevilliers.
Each year, the festival brings together contemporary art, performance, music, and dance from around the world. The festival firmly commits to showcasing international artists and has featured work from Korea, Mongolia, South Africa, China, India, Iran, Mexico, Japan, and Egypt.
If you’re looking for events for empty slots in your schedule, look through the festival’s programming to find something, as there are exhibitions, performances, and films each day.
Festival d’Automne | Sep-Dec, 2023 | Throughout Paris, France | Tickets
Steal My Paris Art Map
The ‘Find Contemporary Art’ is a Google Map marked for easier planning. Paris Photo and Offprint have yellow pins listed under the Art Fairs layer. Tadashi Kawamata’s installation has a green pin. Museums and galleries are numbered blue pins in the France layer.
Write your email below, and I will send you the directions to install the ‘Find Contemporary Art’ on your phone or desktop.
