From Ancient Egypt to Gainsbourg and Picasso: The Paris Exhibits to See in 2023

Paris is gearing up for a new year of must-see exhibits, from a rare chance to view the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Ramesses II to a Harry Potter “experience” or a deep dive into rival Impressionists Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas.

The Pablo Picasso museum will mark 50 years since the artist’s death while the Centre Pompidou will explore the literary influences that inspired Serge Gainsbourg’s music. Many of the exhibits this year are immersive experiences, as venues look for new and creative ways to approach the classics.

The legendary French songwriter’s relationship to literature is explored in this exhibition at the Pompidou Centre’s public library. For the first time, manuscripts from Gainsbourg’s home on rue de Verneuil in Paris will be shown alongside books from his personal collection. Gainsbourg, who wrote more than 500 songs throughout his career, is considered one of France’s great wordsmiths and melodists, with lyrics that were deeply influenced by literature and poetry.

More than 200 photographs, videos, installations and archive materials will go on display in the first-ever French retrospective on internationally recognised South African photographer Zanele Muholi. Many of Muholi’s subjects have experienced discrimination, and the artist’s work is inseparable from their activism for the Black LGBTQIA+ community. Muholi emphasises individuality, beauty and humour in striking portraits that challenge stereotypes.

Marc Chagall’s paintings are set to come to life in this digital exhibition that blends projections, animation, music and narration. The immersive experience will explore the Russian artist’s relationship with two cities that profoundly influenced his life and art: Paris, the city where he chose to live, and New York, where the Russian Jewish artist spent seven years in exile from occupied France during World War II.

To mark 50 years since Pablo Picasso’s death, his namesake museum in Paris has invited British designer Paul Smith to oversee a unique exhibition showcasing the museum’s permanent collection in a new light. With a focus on colour, visitors can expect to see a fresh take on well-known masterpieces from one of the 20th century’s most daring and prolific artists.

The stylised illustrations of Alphonse Mucha have come to define Art Nouveau and Paris’s Belle Époque period. The Czech artist was living in the French capital working as a poster desiger as he developed his signature style, celebrating natural forms and female beauty. This immersive exhibition will cover Mucha’s own story, his best-known works and his enduring influence.

Contemporaries, friends and rivals Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas revolutionised painting in the late 1860s to 1880s by depicting daily life at cafes, theatres and racecourses. Although they had much in common, including an undeniable influence on the Impressionist movement, this exhibition explores how their differences in temperament and style impacted their creative work and careers.