The Most Anticipated Exhibitions of the Winter

© Fabrice Gaboriau pour le Palais Galliera – Martin Parr / Magnum Photos – Finnish National Gallery / Aleks Talve

The curtain rises on the major exhibitions of 2026 ! And let’s be honest : this winter, our favorite Parisian museums are once again delivering stunning shows we simply can’t wait to discover. The hardest part ? Choosing between Dana Lixenberg’s sublime takes on the American Dream, the sumptuous embroidered textiles at Palais Galliera, Pekka Halonen’s snow-covered Finnish landscapes, the iconic photographs of the late Martin Parr, or Mickalene Thomas’s powerful girl-power assemblages. Why not see all five ?

Artist Pekka Halonen, aka the poet of snow, is in the spotlight at Le Petit Palais until February 22. For the very first French retrospective dedicated to the Finnish painter, more than 130 works invite visitors on an immersive journey into the wild landscapes of Finland.

Deeply passionate about the cycle of the seasons, this master of the brush perfectly captures the poetry of his homeland, from the warm hues of autumn to the polar cold of winter and the serene lakesides of summer. But what he excels at most is portraying the luminous whiteness of winter. Influenced by Japonism and Neo-Impressionism, he reigns supreme as the king of snowy landscapes : no one else has ever captured the infinite nuances of snow quite like him. Every canvas mesmerizes, with icy reflections and shimmering details lending each painting an incredible sense of purity.
The extra bonus ? The exhibition is designed as a true sensory experience, featuring scent stations evoking Finnish forests, a final room immersed in “major white,” and even a storytelling tour for children.

Pekka Halonen - Un hymne à la Finlande, Petit Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris 8e. Until February 22, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, and until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
© Sonja Hyytiäinen – Petit Palais / Paris Musées / Pierre Antoine © Finnish National Gallery / Jenni Nurminen

Do you know what a plumassier or a parurier floral is ? Fashion lovers, this one’s for you. Since December, Palais Galliera has been launching a series of exhibitions entirely dedicated to the craftsmanship behind fashion. Tisser, Broder et Sublimer is the first, focusing on ornamental techniques – weaving, printing, embroidery, lace, artificial flowers - – that have adorned garments for centuries.

To highlight these skills, an iconic textile motif runs throughout the exhibition : the flower. From voluminous garments and striking material effects to accessories, photographs and the tools used to create these pieces, more than 350 works fill the museum for a truly comprehensive visit. Fashion unfolds here in 360 degrees. Haute couture creations converse with pieces by emerging designers – and even works created especially for the exhibition – bringing long-overlooked métiers back into the spotlight. We marvel at an exquisitely embroidered Givenchy wedding dress just as much as at a textile sample examined under a magnifying glass, leaving with eyes full of flowers and pearls.

Tisser, broder, sublimer. Les savoir-faire de la mode at Palais Galliera, 10 avenue Pierre Ier de Serbie, Paris 16e. Until October 18, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, and until 9pm on Fridays.
© Paris Musées / Palais Galliera, musée de la Mode de Paris – Nicolas Borel

Martin Parr, one of the most influential photographers of his generation, is celebrated from January 30 at the Jeu de Paume with an exhibition focused on the environmental crisis. Global Warning presents images far removed from clichés, seen through the iconic lens of the artist who has just passed away. Brace yourselves.

On the museum walls overlooking the Tuileries, visitors encounter the unmistakable Parr style : colorful, ironic and offbeat. Bringing together around 180 works produced from the late 1970s to today, the exhibition paints a striking portrait of our deeply unbalanced way of life. From the British Isles to Italy’s turquoise waters and on to Tokyo, Parr’s camera captures – with irony and tenderness – moments of mass tourism, signs of global warming and an excess of polluting cars. What we love most is his unmistakable British touch : sharp humor and gentle, bittersweet mockery that questions what our eyes often fail to see. Standout moments ? Boats crammed in front of Capri’s Blue Grotto, humorously subverting the postcard aesthetic, and the iconic Benidorm granny sunbathing in blue UV sunglasses.

Martin Parr - Global Warning at Jeu de Paume, 1 place de la Concorde, Paris 8e. From January 30 to May 24, open Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm, and until 9pm on Tuesdays. Full price: €14, reduced price: €9.50, free for under-18s.

© Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

After the Broad in Los Angeles, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and London’s Hayward Gallery, the legendary Grand Palais now welcomes American artist Mickalene Thomas to Paris. Through painting, collage, photography and video, All About Love – inspired by Bell Hooks’ All About Love : New Visions – explores representations of Black women in art, history and popular culture.

On the walls, rhinestone-encrusted works radiate sensuality, grace and power, portraying friends, lovers, family members and cultural icons from the artist’s world. More than simple artworks, each piece carries a political message, inviting women to reclaim the space long denied to them. Like a soundtrack, the melody of Angelitos Negro and Eartha Kitt’s jazzy voice echo throughout the galleries, urging artists to paint Black angels in religious imagery. Visitors sway, nod and move along, exactly the point of this retrospective : celebrating the power of love. Our favorite moment ? The room filled with colorful armchairs, books and lamps, where visitors lounge while four screens play the iconic song guiding the exhibition.

Mickalene Thomas, All About Love, Grand Palais, 17 avenue du Général Eisenhower, Paris 8e. Until April 5, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 7:30pm, late opening Fridays until 10pm. Exceptional closure on December 25, and early closing at 6pm on December 24 and 31. Full price: €15, reduced price: €12, free for under-18s.
© 2025 Mickalene Thomas / ADAGP, Paris – © Joshua Woods 2025

The American Dream is coming to Paris ! From February, American Images at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie highlights the work of photographer Dana Lixenberg through images captured over more than three decades.

The result ? A multifaceted portrait of America, featuring celebrities such as rapper Tupac, writer and businesswoman Helen Gurley Brown and Ivana Trump, alongside lesser-known figures portrayed with the same tenderness and respect. Originally from the Netherlands, Lixenberg observes the United States with a certain distance, producing images that feel both delicate and precise. Often colorful and pop, her portraits capture faces in strikingly different settings: on a boat at sea for the former wife of POTUS, in a classic diner, in a living room with a leopard-print carpet or out on the street. The visit feels like a journey across the Atlantic, demystifying the myth of the American Dream.

Dana Lixenberg – American Images at the MEP, 5/7 rue de Fourcy, Paris 4e. From February 11 to May 24, open Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 8pm, weekends from 11am, and Thursdays from 11am to 10pm. Full price: €14, reduced price: €9.
© DanaLixenberg

The Sandman will stop by the splendid Musée Marmottan Monet this fall, with an exhibition dedicated to sleep in art! Although this theme has inspired creativity since Antiquity, this exhibition focuses mainly on the “long nineteenth century,” from the Enlightenment to the First World War. On display: more than 130 works portraying sleep in all its forms—dream, nightmare, artificial sleep, biblical sleep, or sleep through the eyes of love. Divided into eight thematic sections, the show explores both the aesthetic and scientific aspects of sleep and its disorders. Fun fact: part of the curation is led by Laura Bossi, neurologist and scientific curator of this fascinating retrospective. Featured artists include Ingres, Delacroix, Félix Vallotton and Francisco Goya!

L'Empire du sommeil, October 9, 2025 – March 1, 2026 at the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris 16th.

One hundred years ago, the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts put Art Deco in the global spotlight. To celebrate this centenary, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs invites visitors starting October 22 to travel back to the Roaring Twenties. With elegant furniture, geometric designs, posters, fashion pieces, and over 1,000 works, this exhibition showcases the timeless appeal of Art Deco. Highlights include a cabin from the Étoile du Nord train and three models of the future Orient Express, redesigned by Maxime d’Angeac, displayed in the museum’s grand nave.

1925-2025. Cent ans d’Art déco, October 22, 2025 – April 26, 2026 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris 1st.

Music was a major source of inspiration for modern avant-garde artists, but its influence is perhaps most evident in the work of Kandinsky. Naturally, the Philharmonie de Paris and the Centre Pompidou have joined forces for a colorful exhibition where spirituality in art takes center stage. A highlight is the rare chance to see Kandinsky’s last three Compositions (VIII, IX, X) reunited—masterpieces that mirror musical structures and embody his vision of a spiritual, abstract art.

Kandinsky, la musique des couleurs, October 15, 2025 – February 1, 2026 at the Philharmonie de Paris, Paris 19th.

This fall, the Fondation Louis Vuitton presents a vast retrospective of Gerhard Richter, one of the most influential living artists. Known for pushing the limits of artistic categorization, Richter’s work spans from abstract to figurative. With over 270 works from 1962 to 2024, including his iconic photo-paintings, this XXL exhibition offers a deep dive into his extraordinary career.

Gerhard Richter, October 17, 2025 – March 2, 2026 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris 16th.

Classmate of Jackson Pollock and a central figure of the New York School, Philip Guston shocked the art world by abandoning abstraction in favor of cartoon-like figurative works inspired by comics. His paintings—full of dark humor, political critique, and social commentary—are weapons against authority. The Musée Picasso dedicates an exhibition to his biting, grotesque art, showing rare works alongside his satirical spirit, influenced by Picasso’s 1937 series The Dream and Lie of Franco.

Philip Guston, L’ironie de l’histoire, October 14, 2025 – March 1, 2026 at the Musée Picasso, Paris 3rd.

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