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Zadkine Art Déco

In 2025, the Zadkine Museum celebrates the centenary of Art Deco by highlighting the connections sculptor Ossip Zadkine forged with the decorative arts in the 1920s and 1930s. Through more than 90 works—sculptures, objects, and furniture—the exhibition explores, for the first time, Zadkine’s relationships with some of the leading decorators of the Art Deco period, such as Eileen Gray and Marc du Plantier. It also reveals the shared inspiration that unites their creations.

Thanks to numerous loans—from both private collections and prestigious institutions, such as the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, the Sèvres porcelain factory, the Mobilier National (National Furniture Collection), and the Musée des Années 30 (Museum of the 1930s) in Boulogne-Billancourt—the exhibition allows visitors to appreciate the breadth of Zadkine’s talent as a complete artist, passionate about the beauty and variety of materials.

He who intended to behave “like a 13th and 14th century cabinetmaker who always trusted his instinct,” as he wrote in his memoirs, maintained a constant interest in the skills borrowed from craftsmanship. In the early 1920s, when Zadkine, having returned from Cubism, sought a new path, he experimented with different techniques: he colored, gilded, and lacquered his sculptures, giving birth to some of his masterpieces such as the Golden Bird, a plaster cast gilded with gold leaf, or the Torso of Hermaphrodite, lacquered with the collaboration of the decorator André Groult. However, it was his mastery of direct carving that led to his being invited to participate in the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in 1925. Alongside sculptors such as Pompon and the Martel brothers, he contributed to the decoration of the Pergola de la Douce France, a monumental structure erected on the Esplanade des Invalides, intended to revive the ancestral technique of direct stone carving, perceived as more authentic than modeling.

The exhibition, conceived in five sections, first explores the “decorative turn” that took place in Zadkine’s work during the 1920s, a period when the sculptor developed a passion for color in sculpture and experimented with techniques such as gilding and lacquering.

A second section highlights Zadkine’s sculptures designed for architecture: Zadkine collaborated on several occasions with architects to decorate monuments, in Paris as well as in Brussels.

Sections three and four are devoted to the 1925 and 1937 exhibitions, to which Zadkine contributed. In this centenary year, the focus is on the 1925 Exhibition and the Pergola of Douce France, one of the few remaining monuments from 1925. Presented at the Zadkine Museum through a model, sketches, and documents, the Pergola was reassembled in 1935 in Étampes, where it can still be admired today.

The exhibition concludes with a tribute to three decorators with whom Zadkine was close: Eileen Gray, Marc du Plantier, and André Groult. In the sculptor’s former studio, furniture and objects are displayed alongside Zadkine’s works, presented in the way they were integrated into the Art Deco interiors designed by the renowned creators who recognized his talent.

November 15, 2025 – April 12, 2026

MUSEE ZADKINE

100 bis rue d’Assas 75006 Paris

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Maurits Cornelis Escher

Maurits Cornelis Escher, or as he preferred to be called, M.C. Escher, is a fascinating artist who knew how to transform geometry and mathematics into art, through his tessellations, optical illusions and impossible worlds, but who was initially also a remarkable landscape painter.

The exhibition, curated by Jean-Hubert Martin and Federico Giudiceandrea, two of the leading experts on the artist, immerses us in the imaginative and astonishing world of this Dutch genius, born in 1898 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

Celebrated for his visionary creations, visual paradoxes, and infinite geometries, he has become an icon over time, not only for mathematicians and researchers, but also for the general public, captivated by the visual and conceptual power of his work. His creations represent a true convergence of the scientific world and artistic creation, profoundly influencing the worlds of design, graphic arts, film, advertising, fashion, and music even today.

From the 1950s onward, his popularity steadily increased. Thanks also to his connections with the scientific and academic world, various journals began to dedicate articles and reviews to him. In the United States, the hippie movement appropriated his works, modifying and reproducing them on posters and T-shirts, in a psychedelic style.

The exhibition immerses us in his work and its progression toward abstraction, impossible perspectives, and astonishing, sometimes disconcerting, representations of seemingly plausible worlds irreconcilable with reality, which M.C. Escher managed to bring together in a unique artistic dimension.

November 15, 2025 – March 1st, 2026

MONNAIE DE PARIS

11 quai de Conti 75006 Paris

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ONE HUNDRED YEARS of Art Deco

1925-2025

Born in the 1910s in the wake of European reflections on ornamentation, Art Deco drew on the research of Art Nouveau. It fully developed in the 1920s and was distinguished by a structured, geometric, and elegant aesthetic that combined modernity and preciousness.

Its forms appealed to decorators, architects, and manufacturers of the time, but often remained reserved for the wealthy, due to the high cost of materials and the finesse of the techniques used at the time. Art Deco embodied a prolific period, marked by a thirst for novelty, speed, and freedom. It touches on all areas of creation: furniture, fashion, jewelry, graphic arts, architecture, transportation, etc. The exhibition thus revisits the different trends of Art Deco, between the assertive geometric abstraction of Sonia Delaunay and Robert Mallet-Stevens, the formal purity of Georges Bastard and Eugène Printz, or the taste for the decorative of Clément Mère and Albert-Armand Rateau.

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs has played a central role in the recognition of Art Deco from its very beginnings, hosting the salons of the Société des Artistes Décorateurs and building an exceptionally rich collection. The exhibition “1925-2025. One Hundred Years of Art Deco” draws on this remarkable collection, enriched with works on loan from major institutions and private collections, to present emblematic pieces: André Groult’s shagreen chiffonier, the refined creations of Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, and Pierre Chareau’s spectacular desk-library designed for the French Embassy, ​​reinstalled for this occasion. Three leading designers – Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray and Jean-Michel Frank – are highlighted, each embodying a unique facet of Art Deco.

Since the late 1960s, the museum has also established itself as a pioneer in the rediscovery of the style, notably with the exhibition “The 25 Years,” which revived the interest of both the public and specialists. This revival continued in the following decades, spearheaded in the 1970s by major figures such as Yves Saint Laurent, an Art Deco enthusiast, and his associate, the decorator Jacques Grange, to whom the museum gave carte blanche within the exhibition.

Organized along a vast chronological and thematic path that unfolds in the nave and in the galleries on the second and third floors of the museum, the exhibition traces the origins, peak, development, and contemporary reinterpretations of Art Deco. It reveals the richness and relevance of a constantly evolving movement through more than a thousand works.

All areas of artistic creation and decoration are presented. The remarkable lacquers of Jean Dunand rub shoulders with the glassworks of François Décorchemont, the tableware industry, tableware, and jewelry, illustrated by strikingly modern pieces, notably a series of brooches by Raymond Templier and Jean Desprès. The fundamental role of drawing is highlighted through decorative, interior design, and furniture projects, notably Groult’s designs for Madame’s bedroom in the French Embassy pavilion, which interact with the chiffonier, one of its rare vestiges. The world of fashion and textile arts is represented by Marguerite Pangon’s cape, Madeleine Vionnet’s dress with little horses, a jacket made by Sonia Delaunay, a dress by Jeanne Lanvin, as well as textile designs and store window designs.

A symbol of refined travel and French savoir-faire, the Orient Express reached its golden age in the 1920s. Decorated by great artists such as René Prou ​​and René and Suzanne Lalique, it became a rolling manifesto of Art Deco aesthetics. One hundred years later, this legend is reborn. The exhibition exclusively unveils, in the Nave of the museum, life-size interior models of the future Orient Express, reimagined by artistic director Maxime d’Angeac, interacting with a 1926 Art Deco cabin from the museum’s collections. Drawing on the heritage of the style and the world of artistic crafts, his project fuses excellent craftsmanship, technological innovation, and contemporary design to invent the train of the 21st century. In 2025, as in 1925, Art Deco inspires a luxury focused on the future.

An exceptional collection of pieces from the Maison Cartier, some presented for the first time in dialogue with the museum’s collections, allows visitors to gauge the impact of this style on the field of jewelry. More than 80 objects—necklaces, tiaras, boxes, watches, kits, drawings, and archival documents—illustrate the formal inventiveness and symbolic richness of the Maison’s creations. Between rigorous geometry and sensual materials, motifs inspired by the Orient and technical innovation, these pieces embody the aesthetic of Art Deco luxury, while reflecting the evolving tastes of a cosmopolitan international clientele seeking distinction and modernity. A century after its emergence, Art Deco continues to inspire with its modernity, elegance, and freedom of form. By combining the perspectives of yesterday and today, the exhibition demonstrates how this movement remains vibrant, resonating with contemporary aesthetic questions and expertise. More than a tribute to the past, it invites us to rethink Art Deco as an ever-fertile source of creation and innovation.

October 22, 2025 – April 26, 2026

MAD Paris

107 rue de Rivoli 75001 Paris

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Pixi Gallery celebrates its 40th anniversary

“For 40 years, I’ve been opening the same lock at 95 rue de Seine, and I admit that as soon as I walk through the door, I’m overwhelmed by immense joy. I love this place dearly. I’ve shaped it over time in my own way, influenced by all the people I’ve met, the people I love and admire. I do my job like a director. Every month, I showcase different artists of all nationalities and styles, paying little attention to successive trends or the “expectations” of the art market. A beautiful story mixing enthusiasm and despair, which makes me ask myself the same question every day: ‘Do I stop or do I continue?’ But the artists and people who trust me always win; they give me the strength to continue. I’m happy to celebrate this anniversary with you, and I invite you to discover the artists who have been with me all these years.”

Marie Victoire Poliakoff ­

 October 10, 2025 – March 7, 2026

GALERIE PIXI

95 rue de Seine 75006 Paris

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Paul Poiret

Fashion is a party

Paul Poiret, a key figure in Parisian haute couture at the beginning of the 20th century. Considered the liberator of the female body for having decorsetted it, Paul Poiret reinvented fashion.

“Paul Poiret, Fashion is a Celebration” offers an immersion into the designer’s rich universe, from the Belle Époque to the Roaring Twenties. It explores his creations in the fields of fashion, decorative arts, perfume, celebration, and gastronomy. Through 550 works (clothing, accessories, fine arts, and decorative arts), the exhibition highlights Paul Poiret’s lasting influence and reveals the breadth of his creative genius. A fascinating journey to meet a man whose legacy continues to inspire contemporary fashion designers, from Christian Dior in 1948 to Alphonse Maitrepierre in 2024.

Born in Paris in 1879, Paul Poiret began his career as an apprentice in several couture houses. He trained alongside Jacques Doucet in 1898, then joined the house of Worth in 1901, then run by the two sons of the founder of haute couture. In these houses, Poiret observed and assimilated the rudiments of the couturier’s trade: contact with clients and teamwork. These experiences gave him the impetus to establish his own couture house in 1903. There, he defined a new aesthetic of the female body, in movement and without constraints, breaking with the S-shaped silhouette of the beginning of the century. His simplified line is highly modern. This is evidenced by the Joséphine evening dress, a masterpiece of the 1907 “manifesto” collection, inspired by the Directoire. The waist is raised under the bust and held inside the dress by a slightly boned grosgrain ribbon. Poiret uses lightweight fabrics and bright, acid colors. His color palette echoes that of Fauvism, a pictorial movement of the early 20th century that he particularly appreciates.

He had a wealthy and cultured clientele, eager for new things, and surrounded himself with innovative artists with whom he collaborated and collected (Paul Iribe, Raoul Dufy, Maurice de Vlaminck and Georges Lepape). After the First World War, during which he was mobilized, Poiret found inspiration again thanks to his travels and the parties he organized. The 1920s were marked by numerous expenses linked to his excessive lifestyle and the development of his companies (the fashion house, Maison Martine and Parfums de Rosine). He was forced to sell his fashion house in November 1924 and leave it permanently in December 1929. In 1925, he participated in the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts with his own funds: he chartered three barges on the banks of the Seine where he presented his entire universe (fashion, interior design, perfumes). This event is a financial drain.

Chronological and thematic, the exhibition immerses the visitor in modern Paris in the first quarter of the 20th century. It highlights the beginnings of Paul Poiret’s career, retracing the foundations of his apprenticeship with Doucet and Worth. It gradually reveals his relationships and emphasizes his innovations. As we wander through the exhibition, we discover the multiple facets of the designer whose practice is more akin to that of an orchestra conductor than a simple couturier. The tour is punctuated by works by artists who accompanied Poiret throughout his career. Among them, the decorator and architect Louis Süe, who designed his fashion house on Avenue d’Antin. Poiret was a scout for young talent, supporting them and sometimes forming long-term friendships with them, such as Raoul Dufy. Their relationship gave rise to unique creations such as the La Perse coat (1911), whose cut was designed by Poiret and whose patterns were printed by Dufy.

Beyond artists, he rubbed shoulders with members of wealthy and cosmopolitan society, clients of major fashion houses, such as the American avant-garde collector and gallery owner Peggy Guggenheim.

As early as 1909, Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes company performed in Paris. Poiret attended its performances, characterized by the fusion of the arts (music, dance, sets, and costumes). He was struck by their modernity, which he would later translate into his own performance. Photographs of the dancer Tamara Karsavina for Scheherazade were exhibited alongside a drawing by Léon Bakst, the ballet’s set designer. Poiret dressed dancers such as Isadora Duncan and Nyota Inyoka on stage.

His various travels throughout Europe and the Maghreb had a profound impact on him. He recorded some of these impressions in his memoirs, En habillant l’époque (1930), even mentioning his culinary and olfactory experiences. He reused the fabrics and embroidery he brought back from his travels in his fashion creations. He sometimes named his outfits after places he had visited: Marrakech, Toledo, etc.

The exhibition depicts the spectacular parties organized by the couturier through several costumes. The Festes de Bacchus and the famous Thousand and Second Night are evoked. Poiret invited his artist friends (Kees van Dongen and Dunoyer de Segonzac) along with the Parisian high society. These evenings were occasions for social interaction, widely reported in the press of the time. They also served as publicity events for his fashion house.

Poiret’s private life is revealed through photographs and family portraits. It features Denise Poiret, the couple’s children, and also the couturier’s sister, Nicole Groult. This space highlights precious moments from his personal life.

The exhibition also showcases Poiret’s many talents: in addition to being a couturier, he was a painter, actor, writer, gastronome, and musician. Like a conductor, Poiret aspired to create a complete work of art. His propensity to unite disciplines is reflected in the two companies he founded in 1911: Martine, dedicated to interior design and divided between a school and a workshop, and Les Parfums de Rosine. Indeed, for the creation of a perfume, he involved several talents. For example, for Arlequinade (1923), the bottle was designed by the artist Marie Vassilieff and made by the sculptor-glassmaker Julien Viard, and the juice was developed by the perfumer Henri Alméras.

The exhibition continues with an evocation of his creations in 1920s cinema, for example in Marcel L’Herbier’s L’Inhumaine. It concludes with Poiret’s influence on couturiers and fashion designers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Couturiers such as John Galliano, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, and Yves Saint Laurent drew on orientalism, folklore, the festive spirit, and the performing arts. Like Paul Poiret, they embodied the role of artistic directors, giving fashion a narrative and spectacular dimension. Paul Poiret was the first couturier to call upon artists to work on his textiles, sets, illustrations, and other means of communication. He is therefore the pioneer of what is now called “collabs,” a common practice between fashion brands and artists since the early 2000s.

June 25, 2025 – January 11, 2026

MAD PARIS


107 rue de Rivoli 75001 Paris

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