Art story for L'Offciel Liechtenstein
Paris itself is a museum in its own right. The pebbled streets and historical landmarks are quite an art gallery! Paris is also home to some of the most exciting art exhibitions and cultural events, and although many of them are available all year round, others are fleeting experiences, opportunities you just can’t miss. Here are the most attractive art events to experience in Paris before 2021 ends.
1. Damien Hirst, Cherry Blossoms at the Fondation Cartier
The British artist does it again. Damien Hirst’s spot painting inspired by the pink-hued cherry blossoms over a sky-blue background is simply wonderful. Look closer, and you’ll notice the paintings in this collection are much more complex than they seem from afar. As Mr Hirst puts it, “The Cherry Blossoms are about beauty and life and death.” It seems the acclaimed artist is moving away from minimalism into a bright, colourful future. This collection will be on display until January 2, 2022.
2. Bourse de Commerce Pinault Collection
The newly opened museum is dedicated to contemporary art, and it’s starting off with a bang. Developed by François Pinault, the Bourse de Commerce features a collection of contemporary art amassed by the French billionaire businessman for the last forty years. Exhibitions by iconoclast Martin Kippenberger and Urs Fisher will be on display until mid-January 2022.
3. The Musée Carnavalet
The Musée Carnavalet is newly reopened. Dedicated to the history of Paris, this architectural gem now features two rooms featuring Paris, its symbols and key data, and a fantastic exhibit with artefacts ranging from the Mesolithic Era to the mid-16th century. The museum is now displaying 3,800 works, but the building alone is a work of art worth admiring. This is one of the most successful restorations in the past few years!
4. Thierry Mugler at Musée D’Art Decoratif
Explore the story and career of fashion designer and artist extraordinaire Thierry Mugler in the superb “Thierry Mugler: Couturissime” exposition at the Musée D’Art Decoratif. One hundred and fifty beautiful and impactful outfits make this collection an authentic journey through Mr Mugler’s mind, including the legendary pieces used in La Tragédie de Macbeth in 1985. Mr Mugler’s collection will be available until April 24, 2022. “My limit is no limits” — Thierry Mugler.
5. Martin Margiela at Lafayette Anticipations
Martin Margiela’s first solo collection is featured at Lafayette Anticipations Gallery until January 2. Experience the artist’s labyrinthic mind as he challenged the world of fashion through unique takes on anatomy and abstraction. The strong presence of absence in most of the artist’s pieces evokes intense feelings of vulnerability and retrospective. Exploring existence has always been Mr Margiela’s theme, both in the art galleries and on the runway.
6. Botticelli at Musée Jacquemart-André
Available until January 24, the unique and captivating experience of finding yourself in front of Botticelli’s pieces is not to be missed. The Musée Jacquemart-André presents us with forty pieces by the renowned Renaissance painter, arranged in chronological and thematic order, including a selection of Venus portraits by the artist himself and his workshop assistants. The Jacquemart-André has two major exhibitions every year, and they’re all worth checking out.
7. The Morozov Collection at Fondation Louis Vuitton
Running from September 22, 2021, to February 22, 2002, the renowned Morozov collection features two hundred modern art and impressionist masterpieces in perfect harmony between French and Russian artists. The Morozov brothers dedicated their lives to this collection, presented for the first time outside Russia, at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Picasso, Malevich, Gauguin and many others are well represented in this astoundingly curated collection of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. More than an art exposition, this is a historical event. What a time to be in Paris!
All images taken by Marta Romashina and Oleg Tarasenko.