The best exhibitions in Paris in spring 2023
With the arrival of the beautiful days, the artists are inspired and organize exhibitions highlighting the work of the whole season. The exhibitions in Paris are then numerous in spring. From painting to architecture, through photography, here is a selection of 12 exhibitions to discover in Paris in spring 2023.
Circulation(s), the festival of European photography
Back for its 13th edition, the Circulation(s) festival honors young emerging photographers. The works of artists from all over Europe are presented in an exhibition that promotes creativity and diversity.
Throughout the exhibition, you will discover a wide variety of works, ranging from portraits to still life and experimental photography.
Visit the CENTQUATRE-PARIS until May 21, 2023, in the 19th arrondissement, to meet 27 European artists. This year, the focus is on the Bulgarian photographic scene and many workshops are offered to gather around photography.
The exhibition Pastels, from Millet to Redon
Organized at the Musée d’Orsay, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, the exhibition Pastels, from Millet to Redon, highlights more than 500 works of pastels by famous 19th century artists. We discover the techniques used to work with pastels by many great names, such as Jean-François Millet and Odilon Redon, but also Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, Gustave Moreau and Henri Fantin-Latour.
In total, the exhibition presents the works of over 60 pastel artists, from the most realistic to the most symbolic. Discover the fabulous work of pastel chalk until July 2, 2023, in the largest museum of impressionist and post-impressionist art in Paris.
Eternal Mucha, the new exhibition at the Grand Palais Immersif
Dive into the Art Nouveau era at the Grand Palais Immersif to immerse yourself in the work of Alfons Mucha. This precursor of advertising is honored in an immersive digital exhibition that retraces his steps during the Belle Époque. With Eternal Mucha, all his work is retranscribed through immersive and sensory projections.
The visit is then done in 3 steps, starting with his monumental canvases with allegorical figures, followed by the Parisian posters that made his fame. The tour ends with the legacy he passed on to modern artists.
Discover the exceptional life of the artist Alfons Mucha at the Grand Palais, until November 5, 2023.
The Felines exhibition
Lovers of wild and not so wild animals will be delighted to visit the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, in the Jardin des Plantes, to discover the Félins exhibition. From the cute little cat to the big ferocious tiger, the whole feline family is represented, with an exhibition of 38 species of felines living on Earth.
Children and adults alike will be delighted to learn more about these fascinating predators, but the exhibition also aims to raise public awareness of the vulnerability of these wild animals.
Visit the Natural History Museum until January 7, 2024, to meet the felines of the world.
Philippe Starck, Paris is pataphysical
Let’s go to the 3rd district of Paris for this other exhibition, and more precisely to the Carnavalet museum. There, until August 27, 2023, the new exhibition Philippe Starck, Paris is pataphysical honors the work of the famous French designer.
Explore the city of Paris through the science of imaginary solutions, pataphysics, and begin a reflection on your perception of the elements as you stroll from the Eiffel Tower to the Bains Douches, from the Canal Saint-Martin to the Parc de la Villette.
Opening the world album, photographs (1842-1911)
If you are interested in the world of photography, you will be delighted to learn about the history of its diffusion outside of Europe, throughout the 19th century. Go to the musée du quai Branly, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, to discover the exhibition Opening the World Album, until July 2nd 2023. Based on the museum’s collection of photographs, the exhibition takes you to different continents, from 1842 to 1911, to better understand the different ways of appropriating photography in the world.
We learn about the importance of this media and visual art in Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas, and we understand that its history is not limited to the United States and Europe.
Hairs and hairs
For this next exhibition, go to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, in the center of Paris. With its intriguing name, the exhibition Des cheveux et des poils traces the history of hairstyling through more than 600 works. The artists do not stop there and also take stock of the history of body and facial hair.
Browse through the 5 themes of the event, and tackle a subject rarely explored in the art world through works of art dating from the 15th century to today. Until September 17, 2023, this exceptional exhibition teaches you more about the power of hair and the cultural and social norms and codes to which it responds.
Basquiat X Warhol, four hands
Until August 28, 2023, the Fondation Louis Vuitton invites you to discover the exhibition Basquiat X Warhol, à quatre mains. This event honors the two great artists Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Long-time friends, the two painters have produced more than 160 paintings together, during four-handed collaborations. The Louis Vuitton Foundation pays tribute to these renowned artists by presenting more than 80 paintings from the collection, in this immense luxurious building near the Bois de Boulogne.
And to recreate the art scene of downtown New York where the two artists evolved in the 80s, you will also find some works of other great artists, such as Jenny Holzer, Keith Haring, or Scharf.
To love. Breaking up, the exhibition by Françoise Pétrovitch
Go now to the Musée de la Vie Romantique, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, to discover the exhibition Françoise Pétrovitch: Aimer. Rompre. Until September 30, 2023, you can dive into the poetic and strange universe of the artist, where love is powerfully combined with breakup.
This exhibition of romantic art invites you to rethink your vision of love and the couple, through various works (sculpture, painting, drawing) exhibited in all corners of the museum, from the house to the workshops, through the gardens.
Ramses and the gold of the Pharaohs
Go on a very long journey, more than 1000 years before our era, to discover the sublime exhibition Ramses and the gold of the Pharaohs. It is under the Grande Halle de la Villette, in the 19th district, that you will leave to the meeting of the history of one of the greatest builders of the ancient Egypt.
This traveling exhibition is in Paris until September 6, 2023, and allows you to learn more about the famous Ramses the Great. You will have the privilege of observing his sarcophagus, as well as more than 180 of the most sumptuous original pieces. A virtual reality experience is also offered, to admire the tomb of Nefertari and walk through the temple of Abu Simbel.
Sarah Bernhardt at the Petit Palais
From April 14 to August 27, 2023, the Petit Palais has the privilege of hosting the first-ever exhibition on Sarah Bernhardt. On this occasion, the life of this emblematic figure of the artistic world of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century is traced through more than 400 objects about her.
From theatrical posters to stage costumes, through photographs, the exhibition evokes the “sacred monster”, as she was called at the time, in her greatest roles as an actress, but we also stop on these various works, and particularly her sculptures.
Norman Foster
Norman Foster is the last exhibition of our selection. Installed at the Centre Pompidou from May 10 to August 7, 2023, the exhibition highlights the talent of the famous architect recognized as the leader of the high-tech trend. This retrospective devoted to Norman Foster presents us, on nearly 2,200 m² of exhibition space, his prototypes, his sketchbooks or his models, in order to better understand what animated this creative spirit. You will discover the work of this artist who loved to combine ecology and technology, and who left the trace of his overflowing imagination in numerous architectures around the world.
The Hôtel du Cadran, a stone’s throw from the temporary exhibitions of the 7th arrondissement
If you are planning to visit the various Parisian museums to discover the new exhibition Pastels, or the new exhibition Opening the World Album, then make sure you book your room at the Hotel du Cadran. This 4-star hotel in the 7th arrondissement is ideally located to allow you to discover the exhibitions in peace.
In the evening, you will stay in a spacious room just a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower, in a cosy and comfortable establishment. And to recover from your emotions, what could be better than to relax in the spa & well-being area with jacuzzi and sauna of the Cadran hotel?
You like to learn and discover new things on various themes? Paris is undoubtedly the ideal place to open your mind and educate yourself. Exhibitions are numerous in Paris in the spring of 2023, and the Hotel du Cadran is the perfect place to stay to visit all the sites without constraints.
