Summer is finally here! Make the most of it with some cultural outings: from the cobbled alleys of the Marais to the heights of Belleville and the banks of canal de l’Ourcq, let us guide you with our art selection of the month.

 

 

 

Ernest Breleur – “Big Bang Boom! A Cosmic Poetry”

Until July 18th

On the outskirts of boulevard de Belleville, Maëlle Galerie presents a selection of works from the workshop of Martinican artist Ernest Breleur. After getting back to drawing in 2013 with the series “L’origine du monde” and “L’énigme du désir”, this singular creator, “who had always questioned death, has overturned the prism and now questions the living”.

The exhibition “Big Bang Boom! A Cosmic Poetry” brings together seven drawings and four sculptures, evoking in turn “the notion of desire, the feminine and the cosmic”. For the curator and art critic Chris Cyrille, the cosmos in Breleur’s work marks the “take-off point where dream is projected into Space, dreaming of futurisms, going beyond the question of what is possible at the risk of never landing, if not on another planet”.

Wednesday to Saturday: Noon-6pm – Free

Maëlle Galerie
3 Rue Ramponeau, 75020 Paris
+33 (0)6 14 80 42 00
www.maellegalerie.com

 

 

Miriam Cahn – “notre sud”

Until July 25th

Head to the heart of Belleville, a few steps uphill from the previous gallery, to admire this selection of pieces by Swiss contemporary artist Miriam Cahn. With the exhibition “notre sud”, galerie Jocelyn Wolff gives us a chance to discover the colourful and political work of this unclassifiable creator.

Visitors will be intrigued by her enigmatic hermaphroditic portraits, alternatively exchanging glances or contemplating their fellow creatures from one wall of the gallery to another. These timeless artworks, oscillating between stealthy movement and sculptural immobility, bear witness to the characteristic artistic approach of the artist from Basel.

Wednesday to Saturday: Noon-6pm – Free

Galerie Jocelyn Wolff
78 rue Julien Lacroix, 75020 Paris
+33 (0)1 42 03 05 65
galeriewolff.com

 

 

Karishma D’Souza – “Invocation”

Until July 11th

In Le Marais, the galerie Xippas presents artworks by painter Karishma D’Souza, who grew up in the coastal region of Goa. Through inspired color palettes, the artist offers a “silent conversation” in which paintings must be apprehended “like narratives”.

“Behind signs and symbols, as if behind curtains, hide stories. They are meant to be carefully unfolded, shape by shape, meaning by meaning”. In Invocation, the young painter also tackles the difficult political and social situation of her country by drawing inspiration from the Dalit literature, according to which “art should be engaged politically and encourage action”.

Tuesday to Friday: 10am-1pm & 2pm-7pm – Saturday: 10am-7pm – Free

Galerie Xippas
108 Rue Vieille du Temple, 75004 Paris
+33 (0)1 40 27 05 55
www.xippas.com

 

 

Eliza Douglas – “Lord of the Fucking Wasteland”

Until July 30th

A New York artist now active in Europe, Eliza Douglas demonstrates the singularity of her talent with the exhibition “Lord of the Fucking Wasteland”, an ode to weirdness and pop culture. This series of a dozen oil paintings is based on photographs of the artist’s own T-shirts, as if folded in haste in a rectangular format to fit “the traditional photographic ratio”. Metal bands, references to anime: her characters struggle to escape the frame in which they are confined, in an explosion of colors with surprising details.

The artist has already had the opportunity to exhibit in institutions such as the Jewish Museum in New York and the Schinkel Pavilion in Berlin. Eliza Douglas has also worked alongside German artist Anne Imhof, making appearances at the Tate Modern and co-writing with her the soundtrack to Faust, a performance that won the German Pavilion the Golden Lion at the 2017 Venice Biennale.

Wednesday to Saturday: 2pm-7pm – Free

Air de Paris
43 Rue de la Commune de Paris, 93230 Romainville
+33 (0)1 44 23 02 77
www.airdeparis.com

 

 

Collective Exhibition – “BAN Vol. 2”

Until August 16th

Presented for the first time last year in the workshops of L’Orfèvrerie in Saint-Denis, the exhibition “BAN” is making its comeback this summer at the gates of Paris! The event will run until August 16th at the Magasins généraux de Pantin, in partnership with young members of Red Star, the iconic football club based north of Paris.

This summer edition offers us a “singular reflection on what it means to be excluded, apart, next to another world, next to others”. Among the artists invited to work alongside the youngsters from the Red Star Lab are eleven photographers, whose works are inspired by the daily life of the residents of the Paris region: Tabatini/Alcaide, Louisa Ben, Marvin Bonheur, Lucien Courtine, Léo D’Oriano, Aurélien Gillier, Valérie Kaczynski, Antoine Massari, Anton Renborg, Henrike Stahl, and Adrien Vautier.

Saturday & Sunday: 2pm-8pm – Free

Magasins généraux
1 Rue de l’Ancien Canal, 93500 Pantin
+33 (0)1 56 41 39 38
magasinsgeneraux.com

 

 

Collective Exhibition – “Bêtes de Scène à Paris”

Until July 12th

Thanks to the exhibit “Bêtes de Scène (à Paris) – Animals in contemporary sculpture”, Parisians have the opportunity to discover the surprising artworks that attracted nearly 50,000 visitors last year in Lubéron, the region where the Villa Datris Foundation is based.

Some sixty pieces were reunited for the occasion at the Espace Monte Cristo, a few minutes away from Père Lachaise. The animal world has inspired the sculptures of 29 French and international artists, questioning our relationship with wildlife and our environment. Among the great names of contemporary art who bring the Villa Datris collections to life are Rina Banerjee, Katia Bourdarel, César, Kate MccGwire and Evert Lindfors.

Wednesday to Sunday: 11am-6:30pm – Free

Fondation Villa Datris – Espace Monte Cristo
9 rue Monte Cristo, 75020 Paris
+33 (0)1 48 17 60 60
fondationvilladatris.fr

 

 

Collective Exhibition – “Rêves”

Until September 23rd

Among the exhibitions you don’t wanna miss this summer, we can only recommend a detour to Slow Gallery! By sharing “the dreams of 61 confined artists”, its summer event brings a refreshing look at the strange reality we live in today. Among the young Parisian and international artists featured are Sabrina Chess, Alexandre Clérisse, Camille de Cussac, Jessica Das, Groduk & Boucar, Marie Guillard, Kristelle Rodeia, Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet, Vincent Macquart, Jean Mallard, Clémence Trossevin and Seula Yi.

The sixty pieces brought together were all produced in a single A3 format around the theme of reverie, the common thread of this exhibition: “to draw something we miss is to find it a little”. The “mosaic of dreams” composed by Slow Gallerie is a striking illustration of the versatility of its catalog: visitors will indeed find etchings, woodcuts, gouaches, silkscreen prints, pigment ink prints, risographs and embroidery.

Tuesday to Saturday: 2:30pm-6:30pm – Free

Slow Galerie
5 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris
+33 (0)1 43 55 44 68
www.slowgalerie.com

 

 

Young European Photography Festival – “Circulation(s)”

Until August 9th

This summer, the Centquatre is hosting the festival Circulation(s) dedicated to the new generation of European photography; this tenth anniversary edition is finally coming back after a few months due to confinement. Around fifty photographers of sixteen different nationalities will be featured until August 9th under the vaults of the Parisian cultural centre.

Visitors will find nearly 300 artworks. Regarding the international focus of this new edition, Circulation(s) highlights creations by four young Belarusian photographers “with the aim of exploring and highlighting emerging European scenes that are still confidential”. Numerous events and activities are taking place alongside the festival: portfolio readings, artistic workshops, and even ephemeral photo studios until July 19th — the opportunity to bring an original print back home as a souvenir!

Wednesday to Saturday: 2pm-7pm – Full: €6 – Reduced: €4/Free

Le Centquatre
5 Rue Curial, 75019 Paris
+33 (0)1 53 35 50 01
www.104.fr
www.festival-circulations.com

 

 

Gangao Lang – “Second Self-Introduction”

Until August 30th

A laureate of the Dior Photography Award for Young Talents 2019, Chinese photographer Gangao Lang is presenting a series of her portraits at the Studio – Maison de la Photographie, a space dedicated to emerging talents. Originally from the Henan province, the artist studies at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts.

In the artworks featured in the exhibit Second Self-Introduction, she makes use of digital tools for a mesmerizing result, in which the photographic technique makes poetic nods to contemporary art. By distancing herself from a “conception of photography as an objective track” in this series portraying one of her friends, Gangao Lang creates “an elusive trouble that intensifies the emotional dimension of reality”.

Wednesday & Friday: 11am-8pm – Thursday: 11am-10pm – Saturday & Sunday: 10am-8pm

Full: €10 – Reduced: €6/Free

Maison Européenne de la Photographie
5/7 Rue de Fourcy, 75004 Paris
+33 (0)1 44 78 75 00
www.mep-fr.org

 

 

“Plaine d’Artistes” at La Villette

Until August 23rd

La Villette is reopening its lawns and Folies with “Plaines d’Artistes”, a free summer program that will bring together around fifty collectives and artists. Performances in front of a limited audience, open-air exhibitions and movies, artistic wanderings in surprising gardens: the cultural park of the 19th arrondissement comes to life once again!

This summer program includes artists who regularly perform at La Villette, including Mourad Merzouki (hip hop dance – July 2nd-7th), Angelin Preljocaj (contemporary dance – from July 14th-19th), and Jisoo Yoo (artistic performances and installations – July 21st-26th). La Villette’s famed open-air cinema will be held from July 22nd to August 23rd, featuring movies that resonate with the theme “Grandeur nature”.

Access to the Park: Every Day – 6am-1am – Free
Performances and exhibits: Check the Program

La Villette
Parc and Grande Halle de la Villette, 75019 Paris
lavillette.com

 

 

Ludovic Vernhet – “Dessine-moi un mouton”

Until August 22nd

Street art lovers of the capital will surely recognize the style of Ludovic Vernhet, whose black and white wall collages are inevitably embellished with discrete green touches. The artist produced this original series of twelve artworks on paper during the confinement; it is therefore no surprise if they include references to recent events.

In the eyes of Ludovic Vernhet, “the quest for the Little Prince’s sheep illustrates the very special relationship that exists between the viewer’s perception and the initial intention of the one who designs the image and holds the pencil”. The artist has indeed swapped collage for pencil lead to deliver this more personal series, his square formats alternatively evoking ecological awareness and our societies’ contradictions.

Tuesday to Saturday: 11am-7pm – Free

Magda Danysz Gallery
78 rue Amelot, 75011 Paris
+33 (0)1 45 83 38 51
magdagallery.com

 

 

Illustration (cropped) : Artist Jisoo Yoo in her installation “My room looks like a lie”, which will be featured at La Villette this month during the event “Plaine d’Artistes”
© Jisoo Yoo – www.jisooyoo.com
Photography © Gabriella Benkõ