The streets of the capital are gradually filling up as Parisians return from their holiday destinations. While the end of summer marks the start of the school year, the difficult return to daily life can be softened with weekend outings. To help you plan your cultural escapades, Luxus Magazine highlights the exhibitions you shouldn’t miss.
September may be synonymous with the daily grind, but fortunately, it’s also the kickoff for many cultural events. Whether it’s ancient art, modern art, or fashion, museums are full of ideas for exhibitions that will appeal to everyone.
The Gold of the Ming: Splendors and Beauties of Imperial China at the Guimet Museum
Since its discovery, gold has fascinated humanity, and the women of the Ming dynasty would certainly agree.
The three centuries of imperial rule (1368-1644) remain a favorite subject for many historians. With extraordinary craftsmanship, Chinese artisans created exquisite pieces of art.
Thanks to the Ming dynasty, which ushered in a true economic and cultural renaissance, the diversity of furniture, paintings, and porcelains from China continues to captivate.
Starting on September 18th, the Guimet Museum will showcase the jewelry once worn by the women of the imperial court. These treasures, the ultimate symbols of wealth, reflect the refined delicacy of Chinese goldsmithing. Adorned in hairstyles and on the body, these pieces helped distinguish their wearers with baroque motifs and exceptional gemstones.
Between artisanal techniques and hidden meanings in the motifs, gold will hold no more secrets for you.
From September 18, 2024, to January 13, 2025
Surrealism at the Centre Pompidou
This year, the Centre Pompidou transforms into a party hall for a special anniversary. As the surrealist movement celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Museum of Modern Art has created a grand exhibition to mark the occasion.
Titled “Surrealism”, this exhibition offers an immersive experience into the movement championed by artists like Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Dora Maar. Born in 1924 with the publication of the founding manifesto by André Breton, surrealism brought a fresh perspective to all artistic fields.
This multidisciplinary approach is reflected in the centenary exhibition, where paintings, drawings, films, photographs, and literary documents come together to depict a movement that remains endlessly fascinating.
Visitors can wander through a 14-chapter journey punctuated by poetry. Throughout the visit, the works of emblematic artists of the movement (Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, Leonora Carrington, Ithell Colquhoun) offer a dreamlike dive into the surrealist imagination. The exhibition’s centerpiece is undoubtedly the Manifesto by André Breton, which laid the foundations of surrealism, lent exceptionally by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
From September 4, 2024, to January 13, 2025
Yves Saint Laurent’s Flowers, Yves Saint Laurent Museum
A motif endlessly reinterpreted in the fashion world, flowers have inspired the greatest masters of couture. Yves Saint Laurent himself had a particular affection for flowers, both in his art and in his garden, shared with his partner Pierre Bergé. During fashion shows, he envisioned delicate and colorful silhouettes, transforming his models into true nymphs.
The most memorable image is undoubtedly that of Laetitia Casta in 1999. At just 20 years old, the young woman closed the show, covered in roses made of silk gazar.
In addition to this iconic wedding dress, the exhibition Yves Saint Laurent’s Flowers pays tribute to around thirty floral silhouettes. Visitors can also admire Saint Laurent’s inimitable sketches and drawings that accompany the outfits, alongside quotes from Marcel Proust, one of the couturier’s favorite writers.
This exhibition also marks an unprecedented collaboration between the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech and the one in Paris. It’s the first time the two institutions have joined forces for a joint program. Another novelty is the inclusion of works by American artist Sam Falls, adding to the exhibition. A real dialogue is thus created between his pictorial works and Yves Saint Laurent’s silhouettes, all inspired by an admiration for nature.
From September 20, 2024, to May 4, 2025
The Torlonia Collection, The Louvre
To fully immerse yourself in art history, nothing beats a visit to the Louvre. With “Masterpieces of the Torlonia Collection“, discover the most beautiful private collection of ancient art in Rome.
Assembled by the Torlonia princes throughout the 19th century, this collection of marble sculptures is being unveiled to the public for the first time since 1930. The works have traveled from Rome to be displayed until November 11th in Anne of Austria’s summer apartments.
Composed of around a hundred statues, this collection highlights the gems of Roman art: portraits, funerary sculptures, copies of famous Greek originals, and works in a retrospective style enrich what is considered the largest private collection of antique Roman sculpture preserved to this day.
Thanks to the Torlonia Foundation and Bvlgari’s sponsorship, these works have been restored and are now on public display during this landmark exhibition.
From June 26 to November 11, 2024
Rodin/Bourdelle, Bourdelle Museum
Two sculptors for an exhibition conceived as a dialogue. Starting on October 2nd, the Bourdelle Museum brings together more than 160 works created by Auguste Rodin and Antoine Bourdelle.
If both reached the status of masters, one began as the other’s student. For 15 years, Bourdelle worked under Rodin’s guidance, with the latter even going so far as to call him a “scout of the future.”
Each with their own respective universe, they both greatly influenced the field of sculpture. Their common ground lies not only in their techniques but also in their favorite subjects. Thus, Rodin and Bourdelle both enjoyed drawing inspiration from mythology and hybridizations to work on the human body with a fresh perspective, particularly through centaurs.
The exhibition also highlights how their works paved the way for many artists, such as Raymond Duchamp-Villon, Constantin Brancusi, and Alberto Giacometti.
From October 2, 2024, to February 2, 2025
Read also>La Réserve de Beaulieu, the intimate palace on the Côte d’Azur: highly recommended!
Featured Photo: © Pexel
