The first retrospective exhibition of the renowned late American abstract painter and sculptor, Ellsworth Kelly, Shapes and Colors, 1949-2015, is on view at Fondation Louis Vuitton. More than 100 of the artist’s works spanning multiple media—paintings, sculptures, drawings, collages and photographs—are on view in the Frank Ghery-designed building. Kelly lived in Paris from 1948 to 1954, where he encountered the works of Henri Matisse and Jean Arp, both of whom inspired him greatly. They particularly influenced his sense of colour, shape and composition, as evident in his large, vivid monochromatic geometric abstractions. 

Visitors can draw parallels between Kelly and Matisse, as the latter’s work is also on display here under an exhibition titled Matisse: The Red Studio. Presented in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, and the Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK), Copenhagen (also known as the National Gallery of Denmark), the exhibition consists of Matisse’s archival materials, drawings and paintings, all themed around his eponymous 1911 masterpiece, which portrays the artist’s studio filled with furniture, artworks, and objects, against a backdrop of striking red walls.

Until September 9, 8 Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Paris, France 75116

Eva Jospin, who works across multiple media, is best known for creating rich and tactile forested and architectural landscapes which she executes through ink sketches, works of embroidery, and bronze and cardboard sculptures. Currently, her monumental installation—a staggering 350 square metre embroidered tapestry called The Silk Room—has enveloped the orangery room, also known as the residence of the Sun King, Louis XIV, at the Palace Versailles. Inspired by the gardens of Versailles and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own (1929), Jospin’s piece was produced in collaboration with the Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai, and with the support of Parfums Christian Dior.  

Until September 29, Place d’Armes, 78000 Versailles

The work of ten Korean media artists will soon be on view at the Grand Palais Immserif, as part of the Decoding Korea exhibition. The show aims to understand Korea’s traditional values in the context of its modern landscape, using cultural, historical and artistic frameworks to do so.

The show is centred around themes of memory, technology and environment, and uses the past to reflect on the present and project the future. The works of ten Korean artists Lee Lee-Nam, Park Junebum, Lee Yongbaek, Kwon Hayoun, Kim Heecheon, Ram Han, Roomtone, Kang Yiyun, Jung Yeondoo and Yeom Ji Hye will be shown, alongside Nam June Paik’s archival video work.

July 26 - August 25, 110 Rue de Lyon - Paris 12E 

American artist Matthew Barney’s recent video installation Secondary will be showcased at Fondation Cartier, alongside his new works, for his first institutional exhibition in France in ten years. Secondary, is a five-channel video work that was inspired by the artist’s memory of a tragic event in American football history—a tackle that went wrong and left player Darryl Stingley paralysed. In the video, 11 performers, most of whom are dancers or movement artists, recreate what happened on the field in an abstract manner. The work is emblematic of Barney’s practice which involves using sports and erotica to explore the body’s limitations and sexuality, and often reflects on his own past as an athlete. The exhibition will showcase a range of his sculptural installations, video and documentation of his performance works, as well as both his new and earlier works, such as the seminal piece Drawing Restraint (1987–89).  

Until September 8, 261 Bd Raspail, 75014 Paris, France

Arab Presences features more than 130 artworks presented chronologically from 1908 to 1988, and charts significant artistic milestones in the history of 20th century modern art made by Arab avant-garde artists. The exhibition also explores the significance of Paris as unintentional hub for the development of anti-colonial networks and movements, avant-garde influences and its role in perpetuating European Orientalism. 

The show highlights the significance of Musée d’Art Moderne in hosting seminal 20th century exhibitions such as Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, Salon de la Jeune Peinture, Biennale des Jeunes Artistes de Paris, through the collection of modern artworks that contributed to the discourse around the Arab avant-garde art world. The show includes works by Palestinian painter Juliana Seraphim, Algerian artist Baya, Syrian artist Laila Muraywid and Moroccan painter Ahmed Louardiri.

Until 25 August, 11 Av. du Président Wilson

Musée de l’Orangerie is known for providing the ultimate vista—a stunning panoramic view of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies (a series he painted between 1840 and 1926). Designed in the mid-19th century as a greenhouse (used for housing and protecting fruit trees in the winter), the building is now home to a staggering collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. The famed Walter-Guillaume collection, for instance, includes works by 19th- and early 20th-century masters such as Paul Cézanne, Auguste Rodin, Pablo Picasso and Henri Rousseau. Located in the Tuileries Gardens, the views are stunning inside and out. 

Tuileries Garden Place de la Concorde (Seine side) 75001 Paris

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