Exhibitions in Paris Region

It’s always moving to find yourself gazing at a masterpiece by your favourite artist, trying to grasp by what stroke of genius they were inspired, that day in their studio… Paris Region has no shortage of exhibitions that offer this solemn experience, in some cases for a small admission fee, or even free of charge. Each art museum has its way of showcasing the artworks. The choice is yours, whatever your passions and preferences.

Paris Region is home to art in all its forms. Legendary famous paintings for some, avant-garde modern artworks for others, each offering a tour experience that stimulates the senses. Admire the colours carefully selected by a painter to make a bouquet of flowers sublime, notice the oily smell from the paint sprays used by graffiti artists, soak up the light in an immersive tour… One after the other, visit Paris Region’s art exhibitions, of which no two are the same.

Nowadays, the art exhibition as we once knew is undergoing a revolution. Museum collections are not always where you’d expect to find them. Come and see the artists’ work in their own studios to share a solemn moment, or make your way through the urban jungle to visit an old house converted into a contemporary art museum. No doubt about it, art can be found on every street corner of Paris Region.

It’s interesting to observe that a museum’s architecture is sometimes an exhibition in its own right. The Pompidou Centre, with its long, colourful tubes resembling gigantic pipes, offers a clue to the contemporary artworks to be seen inside. The Cité de la Mode et du Design, with its long electric-green tunnel, promises an eclectic range of exhibitions that ooze with audacity… Before entering any museum, it’s always worth taking the time to stop outside and observe its façade.

In Paris Region, the very mention of architecture inevitably conjures images of the historic monuments dotted across the area, like the majestically tall Eiffel Tower and the Grande Arche of La Défense. A multitude of permanent and temporary exhibitions can be seen in the architecture museums and inside the monuments, to plunge you into their history.

The history exhibitions bear witness to a previous century or ancient period, through artworks, historic accounts and objects from the past. Hence, some of these institutions, including the Louvre, offer tours that combine Art and History. The various exhibitions devoted to Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt are proof that these two disciplines come hand in hand. Go and explore the heritage of Île-de-France… and beyond.

In Paris Region, a number of buildings and museums shine a light on our history. From the Palace of Versailles to the Hôtel des Invalides, each monument retraces centuries of conflict, creation and invention, now on display for all to see. How impressed will you be by Napoleon’s tomb which, now and again, becomes the focus of a dazzling sound-and-light show? Unless you’d prefer an amusing, immersive tour at the Cité de l’Histoire?

Of course, history isn’t bound within our borders. As the most visited museum in the world, the Louvre offers a number of tours that retrace the history of the world’s civilisations, through vestiges from the past that include ceremonial garments, weapons of war and sculpted items. Similarly, in the modern museum category, the Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac Museum proposes entertaining, immersive tours that invite us to take a fresh look at non-western art and culture. In Paris Region, each exhibition encourages us to reach out to the world.

Museums are great places to learn… and they can be entertaining too! The iconic Grévin museum, the fairground art museum and the illusion museum, for example, are among Paris Region’s exhibitions that should convince even the least enthusiastic of visitors. From investigation tours to escape rooms and virtual reality experiences, today’s exhibitions have many a surprise in store, the perfect alternative way to discover the world.