The Most Anticipated Paris Exhibitions in 2026
A new year means a new slate of art exhibitions, and these photography, sculpture and painting shows stand out for their ambition and calibre.
Paris’s exhibition calendar for 2026 reads like a series of recalibrations. It features artists returning in unexpected ways, late-career works brought into sharper focus, and pieces on display in the city for the first time. Be it photography, painting or sculpture, the shows move between formal experimentation and incisive social observation. Taken together, these exhibitions point to a year defined by reflection, one that reconsiders how historic works continue to resonate and challenge us in the present.
Erwin Wurm, Tomorrow: Yes
On display at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Pantin, January 17 – April 11
Kicking off the year in art, Austrian artist Erwin Wurm takes over Thaddaeus Ropac’s expansive Pantin space with Tomorrow: Yes, an exhibition filled with his irreverent sculptures that straddle the line between abstract and figurative. At its center are two monumental installations: School (2024), a cramped version of Wurm’s village schoolhouse that visitors can enter; and Star (2025), a 6m-tall, fully functioning sailboat – which is bent in the center like a boomerang.
Martin Parr: Global Warning
On display at Jeu de Paume from January 30 - May 24
Martin Parr: Global Warning at Jeu de Paume offers a bold take on the world’s imbalances, through five decades of the late British photographer’s work. From his early black-and-white series in the British Isles and Ireland, to his global explorations since the 1990s, Parr captured, with satirical sharpness, the excesses of modern life: mass tourism, technological dependency and consumer overconsumption. Across 180 works, organized into five sections, the exhibition reveals how Parr’s ironic, often lighthearted imagery confronts the environmental and social upheavals we currently find ourselves in.
Matisse. 1941–1954
On display at Grand Palais from March 24 – July 26
Matisse. 1941–1954 at the Grand Palais will showcase the final years of Henri Matisse’s career. Spanning more than 230 works, the exhibition includes paintings, drawings, cut-out gouaches, illustrated books, textiles and stained glass. At nearly 80 years old, Matisse reinvented himself with his iconic cut-out gouaches. This exhibition traces how these late experiments with color and form expanded the notion of painting at the time.
Henri Rousseau: The Ambition of Painting
On display at Musée de l’Orangerie from March 25 - July 20
Henri Rousseau: The Ambition of Painting at the Musée de l’Orangerie will bring together a body of works by one of the most well known naïve artists, highlighting his unique vision and enduring influence. In a collaboration with Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation, the exhibition will feature 50 pieces, including the renowned The Sleeping Gypsy (1897). For the first time in Paris, visitors can explore an extraordinary selection of paintings that capture Rousseau’s bold style.
Lee Miller
On display at Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris from April 10 – August 2
Lee Miller at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris shows a major retrospective of the pioneering British photographer. Organized in 10 sections and presented in collaboration with Tate Britain and the Art Institute of Chicago, the exhibition traces Miller’s journey from New York, Paris, Cairo and London. Miller’s photographs documented the world at large while also capturing the intimate personal lives of those she encountered.
Calder. Dreaming in Balance
On display at Louis Vuitton Foundation from April 15 to August 16
Calder. Dreaming in Balance at the Fondation Louis Vuitton marks a double milestone: the centenary of Alexander Calder’s arrival in France and the fiftieth anniversary of his death. This retrospective, spanning half a century of work, brings together nearly 300 pieces, including mobiles, stabiles, wire portraits, wooden figures, paintings, drawings and sculptural jewelry. The exhibition will give visitors a full portrait of Calder’s unique universe.
Hilma af Klint
On display at Grand Palais from May 6 – August 30
Hilma af Klint at the Grand Palais finally brings the visionary work of the Swedish artist to France. Creating bold, abstract compositions as early as 1906, Af Klint mixed geometry and vivid color to form its own visual language. For the first time in France, the exhibition presents her Paintings for the Temple cycle (1906–1915), including the monumental Ten Largest series.