PARIS AND CONTEMPORARY ART
VERNISSAGES, POWER SPACES AND THE QUESTION OF ACCESS
THE PARISIAN MYTH
For anyone even slightly attuned to arts and culture, Paris holds a near-mythical weight. My background in history only deepens that pull : a double fascination rooted in both chasing historical memory and gently unravelling the prestige of long-revered institutions. But this summer, something shifted. My return to the city wasn’t just about looking back; it became an entry point into the Paris of now: a global capital of contemporary art, as alive in its white cubes and repurposed monuments as in its bouquinistes and boulevards.
I arrived with a quiet question in mind: does the world of contemporary art in Paris reproduce the same hierarchies as the Culture-with-a-capital-C that defines so much of French identity? The city is famous for its institutional grandeur, but what about the codes and thresholds of its gallery culture?
From the tightly choreographed vernissages of David Zwirner, Perrotin, and Thaddaeus Ropac to the monumental display of the Pinault Collection at the Bourse de Commerce, I found myself navigating not just exhibitions but ecosystems. This piece traces those movements, through art and atmosphere, access and architecture. A way of asking: when everything is technically open to the public, what still makes it feel exclusive?
GALLERIES VISITED : A BRIEF CARTOGRAPHY OF SPACE, VISION AND INTENTION
What struck me first was the geographic choreography of it all: Parisian galleries seem to operate as tight-knit nuclei, clustered not only by district but often by street, as if proximity itself were part of their curatorial logic. In neighborhoods like the Marais, one can drift from one exhibition to another in a matter of minutes: a dense constellation of art spaces folded into the city’s historic fabric. Then comes the obvious monumentality of said places. The entrance of David Zwirner, Thaddeaus Ropac and Perrotin all pay respect to the timeless parisian courtyard entrance, seemingly intimidating and exclusive as a space that stands isolated from the street. It adds an enchanting value to the experience of entering these curated spatialities. In the span of a single evening, I crossed the thresholds of three Parisian powerhouses of contemporary art: David Zwirner, Thaddaeus Ropac, and Perrotin; each offering distinct experiences, both in atmosphere and curatorial approach.
DAVID ZWIRNER
David Zwirner Paris, housed in a refined hôtel particulier in the Marais, blends the intimacy of domestic architecture with the minimalism of white cube aesthetics. The exhibition La Pesanteur et la Grâce by Elizabeth Peyton unfolded like a visual essay on fragility and transcendence. Peyton’s delicate portraits, rendered in oil, pencil, and print, evoked a palpable tenderness, drawing from sources as varied as religion, literature, and music. Accompanied by an impeccably edited booklet and wall texts referencing Simone Weil’s writings, the show created an emotional and intellectual scaffold for viewers, encouraging both contemplation and connection.
@davidzwirner
THADDAEUS ROPAC
A few streets away, Thaddaeus Ropac's gallery space, a former industrial warehouse turned luminous exhibition hall, hosted Imi Knoebel's Etcetera. The German artist's bold, geometric abstractions pulsed with colour and spatial rhythm. The gallery’s monumental scale suited Knoebel’s modular installations, but the overall layout, though striking, felt more observational than immersive. While the show succeeded in honoring the legacy of post-minimalism, it relied heavily on the visual power of the works themselves, with little interpretive framing.
@thaddaeusropac
PERROTIN
Lastly, Perrotin, with its labyrinthine rooms and sleek, contemporary finish, presented Matthew Ronay’s Thirteen Forms through a collection of biomorphic sculptures that seem to oscillate between organic growth and ritualistic totems. The works were beautifully installed, their brightly-colored surfaces almost glowing under controlled lighting. Yet, the conceptual opacity of the exhibition, paired with minimal interpretive materials, left much of the narrative suspended, asking the viewer to rely solely on form and intuition.
@perrotin
REVIEW
In my opinion, among the three, David Zwirner’s exhibition La Pesanteur et la Grâce stood apart, not just in aesthetic cohesion but in its commitment to contextualization and access. The gallery’s editorial rigor, the way it weaves literary references, curatorial notes, and visual continuity, offers a form of guidance rarely seen in commercial spaces. It doesn’t assume prior knowledge. It invites you in, builds a narrative, and respects the viewer’s curiosity. It’s this kind of framing that renders art accessible without diluting its complexity.
Galleries in Paris seem to often alternate between open elitism and pure visual spectacle, however Zwirner’s exhibition model gestures toward a more inclusive art experience. One where interpretation, research, and aesthetic pleasure can coexist, reminding us that access to art isn’t just about entry, but about understanding, and being thoughtfully guided through the encounter.
Galleries in Paris seem to often alternate between open elitism and pure visual spectacle, however Zwirner’s exhibition model gestures toward a more inclusive art experience. One where interpretation, research, and aesthetic pleasure can coexist, reminding us that access to art isn’t just about entry, but about understanding, and being thoughtfully guided through the encounter.
INSTITUTIONAL SCALE AND THE STAGING OF THE CONTEMPORARY : THE PINAULT MODEL
LATOYA RUBY FRASER
MARLENE DUMAS
CELESTE BOURSIER MOUGENOT
ALI CHERRI
MIRIAM CAHN
GIDEON APPAH
DEANA LAWSON
If galleries operate like nuclei within the Parisian art scene, La Collection Pinault’s Bourse du Commerce looms more like a gravitational center. Housed in a former grain exchange later reimagined by architect Tadao Ando, the building’s monumental dome and concrete cylinder create a layered interplay of history and modernity. The architectural gesture is as conceptual as it is spatial: a container within a container, designed not just to showcase art but to frame it as part of a wider cultural and urban ecology.
The current exhibition, Corps et Âmes, explores embodiment, vulnerability, and presence through works that shift between figuration and abstraction, rawness and restraint. There is an emphasis on materiality; on textures that echo skin, breath, and rhythm. This thematic framing lends coherence to an otherwise eclectic assembly of artists, and it succeeds in engaging the body of the viewer as much as the intellect with names such as Nikki de Saint Phalle, Giddeon Appah, Marlene Dumas, Ali Cherri and many more. Exploring the multiple artists that complete the Collection through this curatorial lens was particularly interesting as it seemed to give place to a more organic (or eclectic) ensemble of pieces, not shying away from showcasing broader emerging voices in art.
The current exhibition, Corps et Âmes, explores embodiment, vulnerability, and presence through works that shift between figuration and abstraction, rawness and restraint. There is an emphasis on materiality; on textures that echo skin, breath, and rhythm. This thematic framing lends coherence to an otherwise eclectic assembly of artists, and it succeeds in engaging the body of the viewer as much as the intellect with names such as Nikki de Saint Phalle, Giddeon Appah, Marlene Dumas, Ali Cherri and many more. Exploring the multiple artists that complete the Collection through this curatorial lens was particularly interesting as it seemed to give place to a more organic (or eclectic) ensemble of pieces, not shying away from showcasing broader emerging voices in art.
Among the more resonant moments is the inclusion of Céleste Boursier-Mougenot’s work. Known for his immersive, often sound-based installations, Boursier-Mougenot presents a piece that transforms the gallery into a living organism; where perception is modulated by movement, sound, and environmental shifts. His contribution extends the exhibition’s reflection on the sensory dimensions of being, blurring the line between viewer and artwork, subject and space. Ultimately it seems like no surprise that this exhibition is having so much from-the-ground mediatic coverage.
While the Bourse de Commerce undeniably operates on a different scale than the smaller galleries of the Marais, its ambition seems to lie in making contemporary art a civic experience. Through curatorial density, architectural transparency, and multilingual interpretation tools, it brings visibility to works that might otherwise feel inaccessible; offering a kind of cultural literacy not through simplification, but through immersive design and thoughtful mediation.
While the Bourse de Commerce undeniably operates on a different scale than the smaller galleries of the Marais, its ambition seems to lie in making contemporary art a civic experience. Through curatorial density, architectural transparency, and multilingual interpretation tools, it brings visibility to works that might otherwise feel inaccessible; offering a kind of cultural literacy not through simplification, but through immersive design and thoughtful mediation.
CONCLUSION
Wandering through Paris’ constellation of galleries reveals a city where contemporary art pulses through its historic veins with quiet confidence and radical energy. From the meticulous curatorial frameworks of David Zwirner to the immersive rhythms of Corps et Âmes at the Bourse de Commerce, the Parisian art scene is not just thriving; it’s evolving. Yet what feels most urgent today is the emergence of new voices working to expand access, challenge hierarchies, and reframe how and for whom art is experienced.
In the next piece, I meet one of them: Vittoria di Savoia. As an emerging curator, she shares her reflections on navigating the institutional landscape, building alternative platforms, and cultivating a curatorial practice rooted in openness and experimentation. Ultimately, her perspective reminds us that the future of art lies as much in fresh vision as in active dialogue and structural change.
In the next piece, I meet one of them: Vittoria di Savoia. As an emerging curator, she shares her reflections on navigating the institutional landscape, building alternative platforms, and cultivating a curatorial practice rooted in openness and experimentation. Ultimately, her perspective reminds us that the future of art lies as much in fresh vision as in active dialogue and structural change.
WORDS: Solveig Wilson Carrier
@solveigcarrier
@solveigcarrier
2025
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