Paris photo exhibits, galleries and museums
 

I will be visiting Paris in early March. It's been about 5 years since I was last in Paris. I enjoy photography exhibits/galleries/museums. I have visited the Maison Europeenne de la Photographie in the past and plan to return this trip. Any suggestions of specific places or neighborhoods/streets to explore? Or good websites to point me in the right direction? Thank you!

For special exhibits during your stay, check out www.whatsonwhen.com.

The Marais in general, and the Place des Vosges in particular, have lots of interesting small galleries. The area around the rue Buci in the 6ème also has quite a few. Also google Carré d'Artistes - I think they have galleries in a handful of Parisian arrondissements.

FONDATION HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON


From January 13 2010 to April 18 2010

Robert Doisneau

I don't know if you are interested in fashion, but there is a Yves Saint Laurent exhibit that opens March 11. It is a retrospective of his work.

Izis, photographer dreaming of Paris



Band of five presentations at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1951 - Brassai, Cartier-Bresson, Doisneau and Willy Ronis - Izis is the least famous. The City Council of Paris, he does justice to a large retrospective exhibition "Izis, Paris of Dreams" focuses primarily on the Parisian period the artist. The popular Paris, sensual, graphic post-war.


Free exhibition at the Hôtel de Ville (Paris 4e) until May 29.

Photo museum not so far from Pompidu Centre-check on line for its schedule of works.

Jeu de Paume.

There are two locations. One is by Place de la Concorde next to Orangerie. Another is the one at the Marais. I don't see much happening at the Marais location these days though, not sure why. The Marais location usually does show photography.

It's not always photography, however. A recent show at the Concorde location was on Fellini.

Try also Fondation Cartier. Not always photography either, but they had a show on Robert Adams (which I saw) a few years ago.

Not the right month or season, but perhaps for another visit: Mois de la Photo, in November I think, every two years (?)

We went to the Cartier-Bresson foundation, in the 14th, last year. They had an exhibit of photography by Walker Evans, a contemporary and another pioneer in portraying ordinary people in their elements. The neighborhood is fun, pretty middle class and residential but near some of the old haunts of the 1930s ex-pats. The cemetiere is nearby, too.

This is the web site: www.henricartierbresson.org

Also, there is a great wine shop nearby, Cave Balthazar, www.cavebalthazar.com

The Izis and Doisneau are going to be wondrous! I check all the locations mentioned above and the Whatonwhen, too. There is often something at the Pompidou and usually something at the Orsay. Paris is a wonderful city for photography exhibits.

Another site to check on the old Bibliotheque Nationale. This is kind of near the Bourse, and they sometimes have fantastic photo shows.

Last year we saw the most wonderful David LaChapelle retrospective in Paris. I didn't even think I liked him until I saw that show.

If you go to the Izis, the door for the Hotel de Ville exhibitions (I've been to 2 and they were both great) is on the SW corner of the building. There are long lines as the shows are free, so plan accordingly.

I second the BnF. I've seen some interesting shows there. I think they had a show at Sebastiao Salgado, which I didn't see.

Ditto Hotel de Ville that others have mentioned.

Great suggestions. Thank you all very much!

There is an excellent exhibit (7€) in the Carnavelet museum at the moment "Forbidden Photographs" inside the prisons of Paris all through the 20th century. You would be amazed how many prisons there were in Paris early last century, considering the fact that there is only one small one left.