4 Paris Exhibitions You Can’t Miss this Summer

Paris Musées, the network that manages Paris’s 14 municipal museums, offers a diverse array of cultural experiences across the capital, so if you’re heading to the City of Light this summer, check out these four standout exhibitions which bring the worlds of film and photography, art and fashion vividly to life.

Paris through the lens of Agnès Varda

Carnavalet Museum, 3rd arrondissement

Until August 24

Before delving into the world of cinematography, Nouvelle Vague director Agnès Varda tried her hand at photography, setting up her very own photography studio in an inner courtyard at 86 rue Daguerre in the 14th arrondissement.

This exhibition – Le Paris d’Agnès Varda, de-ci, de-là- plunges visitors into this very courtyard, which was the location for her first solo exhibition, as well as being a film set she used with Jacques Demy. Her photography is also showcased, showing a humorous and unusual view of Paris and its inhabitants.

www.carnavalet.paris.fr

Matisse paints his daughter

Museum of Modern Art, 16th arrondissement

Until August 24

The Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris is presenting a remarkable new exhibition devoted to Henri Matisse and specifically works featuring his daughter. Matisse & Marguerite showcases more than 110 pieces including paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and ceramics -offering a deeply personal perspective on Marguerite Duthuit-Matisse, a quietly pivotal presence in his life.

Among the highlights are rarely seen drawings and important works on loan from American, Swiss and Japanese collections, many of which are being exhibited in France for the very first time. The display also includes photographs, archival documents and artworks by Marguerite herself, casting a fresh new light on her unique role in the artist’s world.

www.mam.paris.fr

Pioneering female artist

Museum of Modern Art, 16th arrondissement

Until August 24

Furthering its policy of showcasing major female artists with Parisian ties, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris is hosting the first French retrospective dedicated to German painter Gabriele Münter, a trailblazing figure in German Expressionism. Despite working in an era largely dominated by men, Münter forged a distinctive and multifaceted artistic path over a career that spanned more than 60 years.

While often remembered for her close connection with Wassily Kandinsky during their Munich years, Münter’s artistic vision was very much her own. Her career truly kicked off after she exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris in 1907. After that, she consistently pushed boundaries, experimenting across different media and producing an impressively rich and modern body of work.

www.mam.paris.fr

The founder of haute couture

Petit Palais, 8th arrondissement

Until September 7

The Palais Galliera has teamed up with the Petit Palais to present an exhibition devoted to the House of Worth. English-born Charles Frederick Worth is a pivotal figure in the history of fashion and the founder of a house that came to embody the very essence of Parisian luxury. Often regarded as the father of haute couture, he established the House of Worth at 7 rue de la Paix. It flourished across four generations and nearly a century of fashion. This expansive retrospective brings together more than 400 pieces – garments, accessories, objects and graphic works, with many rare items drawn from renowned international collections.

www.petitpalais.paris.fr

From France Today Magazine