In spring, Paris extends well beyond its gardens. This May 2026, the city becomes a cultural crossroads, where British satire converges with Hollywood glamour, African fashion radiates vitality, and the American art scene asserts its raw intensity. Our selection invites you to see it differently.
Technicolor irony: Martin Parr takes over the Jeu de Paume
The British photographer, who passed away last year, returns to the spotlight in the capital with a trio of events. While two Parisian galleries pay tribute to him, the main highlight is at the Jeu de Paume, in the heart of the Tuileries Gardens.
A true anthropologist of everyday life, Martin Parr spent his career documenting the excesses of mass tourism through images bursting with saturated, almost acidic colors under blazing sunlight. Through his lens, the tourist becomes an almost absurd figure, caught somewhere between sunburn and the desperate pursuit of the perfect selfie.
It is this unapologetically absurd aesthetic, this sharp, unsparing satirical photography earned him global acclaim. A perfect opportunity to laugh at our own holiday rituals, on view until 24 May 2026.
Marilyn Monroe at the Cinémathèque Française: beyond the myth, the actress
The Cinémathèque Française presents a much-needed retrospective on the ultimate icon, Marilyn Monroe, who passed away far too soon at the age of 36.
The aim here is to peel back the glossy surface of the “cultural phenomenon” and rediscover the artist behind the paparazzi flashes and the femme fatale image. The exhibition focuses particularly on the 1950s, her most prolific decade with a clear intention: to place her acting profession back at the heart of the conversation. By moving beyond her status as a mere sex symbol, the exhibition invites visitors to explore a professional practice that has too often been overlooked. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the star while finally revealing the true actress, from 8 April to 24 May 2026.
Henry Taylor at the Musée Picasso: painting African American reality
One of the season’s standout events, this marks the first French retrospective of Henry Taylor. After captivating audiences at the Whitney Museum of American Art, this leading figure of contemporary American painting arrives in the Marais for an exhibition developed in close collaboration with the artist himself.
The trajectory is as striking as the work: before becoming the painter, everyone is talking about, Taylor spent ten years as a psychiatric nurse. An experience that deeply informs his canvases. His paintings, populated with people of color and scenes of everyday life rendered in vivid hues, explore the social realities of the United States.
Supported by Louis Vuitton, the exhibition brings together around one hundred works, some of which directly reinterpret Pablo Picasso. On view at the Musée Picasso from 8 April to 6 September 2026.
Lagos, Dakar, Johannesburg: remapping fashion at the Quai Branly
After a resounding success at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Africa Fashion exhibition arrives at the Quai Branly for a fully immersive journey into the continent’s creative scene.
Contemporary garments and accessories are displayed alongside more discreet pieces from the museum’s collections, highlighting the textile craftsmanship of designers from Lagos, Dakar, and Johannesburg. This dialogue between past and present underscores the growing influence of non-European designers on the global stage.
As Fashion Weeks in cities like Lagos or Dubai gain increasing prominence alongside the traditional “Big Four,” the exhibition shows that these creators are driving global trends.
To mark the occasion, the museum will host a special evening on 24 April, blending fashion, art, and music, ahead of the exhibition’s closing on 12 July 2026.
American Images at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie with Dana Lixenberg
The Maison Européenne de la Photographie presents American Images, the result of thirty years of work by Dutch photographer Dana Lixenberg. The line-up is striking: from Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. toIvana Trump and Lil’ Kim, superstars and anonymous figures coexist with the same intensity.
Having moved to the United States in the late 1980s, Lixenberg offers lucid counter-narratives, often stripped of contextual details. Her portraits, frequently taken in just a few minutes force the viewer into a raw, direct confrontation with the subject.
This approach echoes strongly in today’s image-saturated world, offering a perspective that is both detached and deeply insightful on American society. On view until 24 May 2026.
