The Best (Free!) Exhibitions at Parisian Galleries

© Guy de Rougemont, Galerie Ketabi Bourdet - Pierre Soulages, RMN, Grand Palais, Raphaël Gaillarde - Mountain, 2023, Suki Seokyeong Kang, ph. Chunho An.

No need to queue for hours in front of the most popular museums in the capital to get a culture fix. It's buzzing over at the art galleries, using Art Basel as the perfect pretext to present, starting mid-October, their protégés through free and ultra-inspiring exhibitions, including the quirky screen prints of Corita Kent at the Collège des Bernardins, Korean works enhanced with olfactory touches at Maison Guerlain, a journey through art in the desert with Orbis Tertius in the Marais, and the legendary blacks of Pierre Soulages at Galerie Pascal Lansberg versus the vibrant colors of Guy de Rougemont at Galerie Ketabi Bourdet. Shall we take you?

Guerlain stands out with the superb exhibition "Good Morning Korea" located in its flagship store on the Champs-Élysées. Since South Korea has been making waves on the international cultural scene for several years now, the chicest beauty house in Paris invites us this week to (re)discover a multitude of artists from the Land of the Morning Calm, whether they are recognized or emerging.

The selection explores the various disciplines embraced by the creators: sculpture, video, textile art, installations... Some pieces are even specially created for this sublime partnership. The sensorial aspect of this exhibition calls upon what Guerlain is known for: perfumes. Throughout the exhibition, scents enhance the experience of the works, sometimes created specifically to illustrate them. Spread over three floors and 1,600 m², the exhibition takes us on a sensory journey through the world of South Korea via the five senses. Huge crush on Yoon Ji-Eun and Minjung Kim, who offer us paintings inspired by Korea’s blooming nature in soft pastel tones. We also love Young-Il Ahn, whose monochrome blue works reference water, at the heart of Taoist cosmology: a super dreamy universe.

Good Morning Korea. In the Land of the Morning Calm. Guerlain Boutique. From October 16 to November 12, 2024. From 11 am to 8 pm except on Tuesdays from 11 am to 5 pm.

© Nightscape, 2012, JeeYoung Lee - Perdu CXIII, 2021, Lee Bul., ph. Charles Duprat - Mountain, 2023, Suki Seokyeong Kang, ph. Chunho An.

Orbis Tertius is an exhibition spread across Galerie Joseph, in the heart of the artsy Marais district. It brings together 20 contemporary artists who participated in the artistic residencies organized in the oasis city of AlUla, Saudi Arabia. Located 1,100 km northwest of Riyadh (and thus deep in the desert), this region is known for its pre-Islamic archaeological remains. AlUla, with its sandstone mountains, offers artists a dreamlike environment, conducive to inspiration and innovation.

The artists stayed there between 3 and 5 months, and through their works, they reinterpret reality in dialogue with this unique setting. The exhibition presents 43 works, spread over 1,200 m² and four floors! On display: paintings on various mediums, sculptures, metal installations, sand, or even plants, photographs, and video projections. Huge favorite: an installation of bricks with some missing, revealing the geographic coordinates of artist Talin Hazbar's favorite places! We also love the sublime desert landscape photographs by Louis-Cyprien Rials. Among the diverse creations presented by Orbis Tertius, 13 are 100% new productions, created especially for the exhibition. This is also the very first exhibition in France from the AlUla artist residency program. A must-see without hesitation!

Orbis Tertius, Galerie Joseph. From Tuesday, October 15 to Sunday, October 20, 2024, every day from 11 am to 8 pm.
© Lorenzo Arrigoni, Courtesy the artist.

The Collège des Bernardins is currently hosting the exhibition "Corita Kent. The Joyful Revolution." Corita Kent is a militant artist who, at just 18 years old, entered the religious order of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hollywood. Loyal to this Los Angeles neighborhood, she would also become a star in her field. Her works, super colorful, combine advertising and newspaper images with texts: Bible verses, slogans, song lyrics, and literature—there’s something for everyone. Her artistic direction: advocating for youth empowerment, feminist movements, and American counter-cultural artistic currents. She was also politically active, encouraging viewers to reflect on themes such as poverty, racism, war, and social injustice. Quite original for a nun who was decidedly ahead of her time!

This exhibition brings together more than thirty original artworks by the American artist, accompanied by photographs and even an installation displaying 35mm slides created by Corita Kent herself. Her sociopolitical commitment and highly colorful artistic techniques make this exhibit a truly 100% Pop Art moment. You may be familiar with her colorful work titled "Stop the Bombing" (1967), which protests the Vietnam War?

Corita Kent. The Joyful Revolution. Collège des Bernardins. From October 9 to December 21, 2024. Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.
© GLMPOLI2024-16.

Pierre Soulages is undoubtedly the favorite artist of the French, whose retrospective at the Pompidou in 2009 saw record attendance! For over 30 years, Galerie Pascal Lansberg has passionately supported Pierre Soulages, who passed away at 102 in 2022. Located in the heart of the ultra-chic Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, the gallery represents various trends of post-war European Abstraction: highly geometric and challenging traditional notions of beauty in painting.

For this posthumous tribute, the gallery has chosen to focus on his historical works from the 1950s, which are particularly sought after by collectors. Most of the works on display have been kept in private collections and are unknown to the general public, making this exhibition entirely unprecedented! His canvases, where black dominates, are abstract and very dark. They are exceptional and unique because they stand in stark contrast to the colorful post-war paintings. The pieces are marked by striking chiaroscuro effects. The large-format works are especially spectacular. The highlight of this exhibition? Upstairs, you’ll find a selection of exhibition catalogs and dialogues featuring interviews with the artist—perfect for flipping through to better understand who Pierre Soulages really was.

Soulages. 1950s, Galerie Pascal Lansberg. From October 10 to November 16, 2024, Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 7 pm.
© 2024 Galerie Pascal Lansberg - RMN, Grand Palais, Raphaël Gaillarde.

Galerie Ketabi-Bourdet, nestled in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, is a gem unlike any other. Focused on representing contemporary artists, it also carries on the legacy of French artist Guy de Rougemont. Rougemont’s work may remind you of Pop Art movements (Andy Warhol among others) and minimalism, which inspire him, though he never claimed affiliation with them. A cultured traveler, Rougemont was particularly influenced by his visits to the United States, which set him apart from his fellow artists in the 1960s.

Guy de Rougemont’s trademark? Large-format acrylic paintings, offering a powerful combination of simplified forms and flat colors. Like many other 20th-century artists, Rougemont sought to break down the barriers between different art forms. Art consultant Gay Gassman even said that Rougemont "moved from two-dimensional artworks to reliefs… Yet, he always defined himself first and foremost as a painter." The exhibition at Galerie Ketabi Bourdet offers a fantastic selection of Rougemont’s paintings, along with a three-dimensional work with captivating curves and colors, part of the artist’s family heritage. Rougemont’s goal was to bring color into everyday life through his works. The result? An ultra-colorful, energizing exhibition.

Guy de Rougemont, Galerie Ketabi Bourdet. From October 10 to November 9, 2024. Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 7 pm.
© Galerie Ketabi Bourdet (@studio_shapiro - @guyderougemont_archive).