Must See: Paris Winter Shows

Irving Penn at the Grand Palais
September 21—January 29, 2018
The exhibition marks the centenary of Irving Penn’s birth and is the first major show of his work in France since his passing in 2009. More than 240 photos will be on view, encompassing the scope of Penn’s 70-year career. Among his subjects were fashion portraits, still lifes, and street scenes. The show takes visitors from his first images of Philadelphia and New York to his later portraits of Alvin Ailey and Zaha Hadid.

Camille Henrot at Palais de Tokyo
October 18–January 7, 2018
For the third iteration of Palais de Tokyo’s “Carte Blanche” series, artist Camille Henrot will take over the entire exhibition space of the museum with “Days Are Dogs.” The show investigates our dependency on the invented structure of the seven-day week. A range of Henrot’s practice will be accompanied by work from artists David Horvitz, Avery Singer, Samara Scott, Nancy Lupo, and Maria Loboda and poet Jacob Bromberg.

“Women House” at Monnaie de Paris
October 20–January 28, 2018
“Women House” is a group exhibition centered around the theme of the female gender and the domestic space. The work of 40 artists—including Cindy Sherman, Louise Bourgeois, Rachel Whiteread, Joana Vasconcelos, Pia Camil, and Heidi Bucher—is on view, curated by Camille Morineau and Lucia Pesapane. “Women House” pays homage to the Womanhouse project by Miriam Schapiro and Judy Chicago from 1972.

“Couturier du Rêve” at Musée des Arts Décoratifs
July 5–January 7, 2018
The House of Dior celebrates its 70th anniversary with “Couturier du Rêve” (Designer of Dreams). The massive exhibition reveals the creative genius of Christian Dior and his successors through hundreds of couture gowns, garments, accessories, fragrances, illustrations, photos, and documents within impressive sets and galleries filled with paintings, furniture, and objets d’art.

Nalini Malani at Centre Pompidou
October 18–January 8, 2018
“The Rebellion of the Dead” is the first retrospective of work by the Indian artist Nalini Malani in France and Italy and takes place in two parts, at the Centre Pompidou (2017–2018) and Castello di Rivoli (2018). The show in Paris presents work from 1969 to today, including her “All We Imagine as Light” painting series and site-specific performance Traces. Malani explores the role of women in post-Partition India and the world at large in her practice.

Ali Kazma at Jeu de Paume
October 17–January 21, 2018
Ali Kazma is an Istanbul-based artist creating videos that question economic and social structures in our globalized society. The human presence is a subject the artist continues to return to, notably in works like Clerk (2011) and Absence (2011). The solo show “Subterranean” at Jeu de Paume is curated by Pia Viewing.

“Être Moderne” at Fondation Louis Vuitton
October 11–March 5, 2018
The Fondation Louis Vuitton has partnered with the Museum of Modern Art in New York to present “Être Moderne: Le MoMA à Paris.” The exhibition features a selection of two hundred incredible works, revealing the evolution of the museum’s world-famous collection. The show was curated with the Fondation’s Frank Gehry design in mind, creating fascinating interactions between the architecture and the range of artworks.

Malick Sidibé at Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain
October 20–February 25, 2018
“Mali Twist” is a retrospective of work by the photographer Malick Sidibé, including both images that are well known and some on view for the first time, like a vast collection of vintage photographs and portraits from the artist’s archives. In 1995, the Fondation Cartier was the first to present Sidibé’s work outside of Africa. The show brilliantly revisits the work of “the eye of Bamako.”

Daniel Arsham at Galerie Perrotin
October 14–December 23
For “The Angle of Repose,” the New York–based artist Daniel Arsham plays with materials and light at the gallery in the Marais. Drawing inspiration from his childhood, Arsham continues to explore themes of memory and time, permanence and impermanence. New to this show is an interest in astrology and Eastern philosophies, seen in sand paintings, colorful gardens, and 3-D globes.

Gilbert & George at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac — Pantin
October 18—January 20, 2018
Created over the past two years, the pictures will be unveiled over the next months in a series of exhibitions in Paris, New York, Brussels, London, Naples, and Athens. The artists have made a selection of the “BEARD PICTURES” for Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Paris Pantin, which will vary in size up to the 23-meter-long triptych OLD BEARD RUIN.