Want to get your art on? Where better? These are the best galleries in Paris for painting, sculpture, photography and more
LessSpread over two floors, Almine Rech’s gallery has more of an apartment feel, but it’s home to some big international names. Among regulars are light installations by James Turrell, neo-minimalists John McCracken and Anselm Reyle, the eclectic clowning of Ugo Rondinone and powerful films by French artist Ange Leccia.
Lambert is a powerhouse of the French arts scene, with plenty of big-name stuff, a New York offshoot and a personal collection granted museum status in Avignon. The gallery includes a dedicated area for video installations, and the main space shows leading international names – American bigwigs Andres Serrano, Sol LeWitt, Nan Goldin and Jenny Holzer, plus next-generation artists Douglas Gordon and Jonathan Monk.
Over thirty years, this gallery, which began in the picturesque Tuscan village of San Gimignano, has become an international institution with branches in Beijing, Rome, São Paulo, Dubai, and of course, Paris. Galleria Continua opened its first truly Parisian space in January 2021, right in the middle of lockdown, and to adapt to the rules opened a delicatessen and gelateria in addition to its bookstore and exhibition spaces in this new 800-square-meter space in the Marais.
Fisheye is one of the go-to photography magazines in Paris. After the successful launch of this media, Fisheye decided to venture into the gallery scene. In October 2016, they opened an exhibition space exclusively dedicated to contemporary photography, focusing particularly on emerging young talents. Now Fisheye (the gallery) highlights the work of numerous international creators like Alisa Martynova, a rising star in photography, and Ukrainian photojournalist Igor Chekachkov.
In 1947, the former muse of Aristide Maillol, Dina Vierny, opened her gallery on the advice of none other than Matisse. Yes, Matisse! Still active in its original setting designed by Auguste Perret, her gallery quietly establishes itself as the elder statesman of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. Specializing in modern art, Dina Vierny always took risks and quickly stood out for her great eclecticism.
Established in 2006 in Beijing, the Paris-Beijing gallery made its mark in 2009 on rue de Turbigo, occupying a beautiful 400-square-meter space. Pioneering in the representation of contemporary Chinese photography, Paris-Beijing gradually embraced other forms of art and evolved into PARIS-B in 2021, an entity that continues to represent photographers as well as painters and sculptors from around the world.
In 1990 Emmanuel Perrotin, decided to get into the gallery game. There's now Perrotins in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The Parisian establishment is now installed in an elegant hôtel particulier in the Marais. The man himself is one of the sharpest figures in town: not content with owning a gallery in Hong Kong and a glossy magazine, he has recently jumped on the design bandwagon with shows by Robert Stadler and Eric Benqué.
This gallery has four floors available for viewing, it's almost impossible to get bored here. It features American Pop and neo-Pop by Andy Warhol, Tom Sachs, Elaine Sturtevant and Alex Katz, along with European artists such as Antony Gormley, Erwin Wurm, Sylvie Fleury, Tony Cragg and Gilbert-George. Opened back in 1990, it specializes in international contemporary art and also runs its own publishing house, producing catalogues and books to accompany exhibitions.
‘Every photo has a tale to tell’: such is the motto at Polka Galerie in the Marais, where Adélie de Ipanema and Edouard Genestar have entirely devoted their art space to photojournalism, turning their triple-roomed gallery into one of the only places in Paris to mix art, journalism and politics. Works on display are signed by photographers like Ethan Levitas, Marc Riboud, Reza and Daido Morayima, all known for their hard-hitting sociopolitical angles.
Suzanne Tarasieve opened her vast Loft19 in 2008, part of the rapid artistic expansion of the Belleville neighbourhood, and within a few years it became the favourite destination for young alternative galleries in Paris. Her second space, opened in the Marais in May 2011, is a stronghold for the most powerful representatives of the Parisian art market.
Interesting conceptual work in all media includes the likes of American provocateur Paul McCarthy, Turner Prize winner Keith Tyson and a clutch of French 30 and 40 somethings, including Alain Bublex and Gilles Barbier, as well as veteran affichiste Jacques Villeglé.