Fisheye Gallery
© Fisheye Gallery

The 20 best art galleries in Paris

Want to get your art on? Where better? These are the best galleries in Paris for painting, sculpture, photography and more

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For centuries, Paris was the undisputed art capital of the Western world. Many pioneering, properly perspective-altering artists lived in Paris over the years – van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Dalí and countless others – and much of their work can be found within the city’s immense number of museums, galleries, attractions, salons and other art spaces.

We say look beyond the mammoth classical institutions and check out some up-and-comers at one of several established contemporary art galleries in Paris. The team over at Time Out Paris have done every gallery in the city (most of them twice), so you can trust them on the best spots. Here is our local’s guide to the best art galleries in Paris right now. 

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Houssine Bouchima and Zoe Terouinard are editors at Time Out Paris. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines

Best art galleries in Paris

  • Art
  • Le Marais

Spread over two floors, Almine Rech’s gallery has more of an apartment feel, but it’s home to some big international names. Among regulars are light installations by James Turrell, neo-minimalists John McCracken and Anselm Reyle, the eclectic clowning of Ugo Rondinone and powerful films by French artist Ange Leccia.

  • Art
  • Galleries
  • Le Marais

Lambert is a powerhouse of the French arts scene, with plenty of big-name stuff, a New York offshoot and a personal collection granted museum status in Avignon. The gallery includes a dedicated area for video installations, and the main space shows leading international names – American bigwigs Andres Serrano, Sol LeWitt, Nan Goldin and Jenny Holzer, plus next-generation artists Douglas Gordon and Jonathan Monk. The street-front art bookshop has a window showcase and basement gallery for younger talents.

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3. Galleria Continua

Over thirty years, this gallery, which began in the picturesque Tuscan village of San Gimignano, has become an international institution with branches in Beijing, Rome, São Paulo, Dubai, and of course, Paris. Galleria Continua opened its first truly Parisian space in January 2021, right in the middle of lockdown, and to adapt to the rules opened a delicatessen and gelateria in addition to its bookstore and exhibition spaces in this new 800-square-meter space in the Marais. So, in addition to being able to leave with a JR, an Ai Weiwei, or a Daniel Buren, art enthusiasts can snack, drink and buy memorabilia. 

4. Fisheye Gallery

Fisheye is one of the go-to photography magazines in Paris. After the successful launch of this media, Fisheye decided to venture into the gallery scene. In October 2016, they opened an exhibition space exclusively dedicated to contemporary photography, focusing particularly on emerging young talents. Now Fisheye (the gallery) highlights the work of numerous international creators like Alisa Martynova, a rising star in photography, and Ukrainian photojournalist Igor Chekachkov. 

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5. Galerie Dina Vierny

In 1947, the former muse of Aristide Maillol, Dina Vierny, opened her gallery on the advice of none other than Matisse. Yes, Matisse! Still active in its original setting designed by Auguste Perret, her gallery quietly establishes itself as the elder statesman of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. Specializing in modern art, Dina Vierny always took risks and quickly stood out for her great eclecticism. Whether it’s the School of Paris, naive painting, or Russian non-conformism, this great aesthete never made choices other than those of the heart. Today managed by her grandsons, Pierre and Alexandre Lorquin (also at the helm of Pal Project), Dina Vierny represents, of course, the legacy of Aristide Maillol, but also (more recently acquired) that of Michel Haas and Robert Couturier.

6. PARIS-B

Established in 2006 in Beijing, the Paris-Beijing gallery made its mark in 2009 on rue de Turbigo, occupying a beautiful 400-square-meter space. Pioneering in the representation of contemporary Chinese photography, Paris-Beijing gradually embraced other forms of art and evolved into PARIS-B in 2021, an entity that continues to represent photographers as well as painters and sculptors from around the world. While prominent figures like Liu Bolin and Ren Hang regularly grace its walls, PARIS-B also provides a prominent platform for emerging artists by showcasing them in its integrated gallery space, the PB Project. 

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  • Art
  • Galleries
  • Le Marais

In 1990 Emmanuel Perrotin, decided to get into the gallery game. There's now Perrotins in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The Parisian establishment is now installed in an elegant hôtel particulier in the Marais. The man himself is one of the sharpest figures in town: not content with owning a gallery in Hong Kong and a glossy magazine, he has recently jumped on the design bandwagon with shows by Robert Stadler and Eric Benqué. As well as the quirky Japanese set of Takashi Murakami, Mariko Mori et al, and big French names such as Sophie Calle, Xavier Veilhan, Prix Marcel Duchamp winner Tatiana Trouvé and Bernard Frize, he also features the radical Austrian collective Gelitin. Lots of cool, cool, things to be gazing at here. 

  • Art
  • Sculpture
  • Le Marais

This gallery has four floors available for viewing, it's almost impossible to get bored here. It features American Pop and neo-Pop by Andy Warhol, Tom Sachs, Elaine Sturtevant and Alex Katz, along with European artists such as Antony Gormley, Erwin Wurm, Sylvie Fleury, Tony Cragg and Gilbert-George. Opened back in 1990, it specializes in international contemporary art and also runs its own publishing house, producing catalogues and books to accompany exhibitions. There's plenty to do in the area, and it's also located two minutes from Musée Picasso.

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  • Art
  • Photography
  • Le Marais
Polka Galerie
Polka Galerie

‘Every photo has a tale to tell’: such is the motto at Polka Galerie in the Marais, where Adélie de Ipanema and Edouard Genestar have entirely devoted their art space to photojournalism, turning their triple-roomed gallery into one of the only places in Paris to mix art, journalism and politics. Works on display are signed by photographers like Ethan Levitas, Marc Riboud, Reza and Daido Morayima, all known for their hard-hitting sociopolitical angles. But it’s not all serious; you might also come across an expo on Elliot Erwitt renowned for his amusing dog photos. While you’re there, pick up a copy of Polka Magazine, a fortnightly spread, created by Alain Genestar (former director of Paris Match), brimming with picture-rich articles, many of which tie in with the exhibitions in the gallery.

  • Art
  • Galleries
  • Le Marais

Suzanne Tarasieve opened her vast Loft19 in 2008, part of the rapid artistic expansion of the Belleville neighbourhood, and within a few years it became the favourite destination for young alternative galleries in Paris. Her second space, opened in the Marais in May 2011, is a stronghold for the most powerful representatives of the Parisian art market. A certain split personality gives the gallery its charm, attracting as it does both underground talents like the Le Gun collective and successful artists like photographer Boris Mikhailov and even Nick Cave and his ‘Soundsuits’.

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  • Art
  • Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Galerie Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois
Galerie Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois

Interesting conceptual work in all media includes the likes of American provocateur Paul McCarthy, Turner Prize winner Keith Tyson and a clutch of French 30 and 40 somethings, including Alain Bublex and Gilles Barbier, as well as veteran affichiste Jacques Villeglé.

12. Galerie VU’

VU’ is both a photographers’ agency and a gallery dedicated to contemporary photography. The latter established itself at the end of 2010 within the walls of an authentic private mansion in the 9th arrondissement. The concept? The gallery is resolutely focused on the post-documentary movement and champions two approaches to photography: one is intimate and even autobiographical, while the other, more conceptual, approaches contemporary art. Today, Galerie VU’ is one of the most renowned galleries in the art world, and was responsible for making a name for a number of now-big artists. 

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  • Art
  • Galleries
  • Canal Saint-Martin
Les Douches - La Galerie
Les Douches - La Galerie

Vivian Maier, Bruce Wrighton, Tom Arndt are just a few names you'll find at this beautiful Canal Saint-Martin photography gallery, which was restored from its former purpose – public showers – in 2006. 

14. La Fab.

In November 1984, when she inaugurated the Galerie du Jour just a stone's throw from Beaubourg, Agnès B. explained, ‘We call it a gallery, but we could say it’s a place to show the other side and the side stories of things.’ In 2020, a new chapter unfolded for this historic gallery, and it moved to Place Jean-Michel-Basquiat in the 13th arrondissement, to La Fab., a new hybrid space spanning 1,400 square meters. Reflecting its owner's eclectic nature, La Fab. brings together Galerie du Jour, Agnès B.'s private collection, a bookstore, and a space dedicated to the charitable actions close to the heart of this grande dame of the art world. Fabulous Fab.!

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  • Art
  • Galleries
  • 6e arrondissement

After bursting on to the St-Germain art scene with shows by fashion photographers David LaChapelle and Ellen von Unwerth and filmmaker Larry Clark, and introducing emerging artists Kader Attia and Adel Abdessemed, Mennour has asserted his presence on the gallery scene with a move to these grand new premises in a hôtel particulier. Recent shows by an impressive cross-generational stable have included Daniel Buren, Claude Lévêque and Huang Yong Ping. It's increasingly becoming a bit of a contemporary powerhouse, this spot. Well spots, you see, the gallery represents more than 40 artists across five spaces (four in paris, pretty near one another) and one in London. Catch them all. 

16. Chapelle XIV

Located in the vibrant 18th arrondissement, Chapelle XIV reflects the neighborhood perfectly: eclectic, trendy, and creative. Founded in 2020 by Eléonore Levai and Benjamin Belaga, this spot combines a niche record store with a demanding art gallery. It defies all the somewhat stressful codes of art: no cold white cubes, no lack of information, no religious silence. None of that here. No sir. At Chapelle XIV, the music is blasting, and you can chill at the café after checking out one of the design or contemporary art exhibitions. Throughout the year, the space also hosts a screen printing workshop, talks, DJ sets, and performances. Who said contemporary art had to be boring?

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  • Art
  • Painting
  • 8e arrondissement
Galerie Lelong
Galerie Lelong

If you hanker after Miró, Tàpies, Bacon or Kounellis, Lelong is a safe bet, with its selection of bankable, postwar international names. Daniel Lelong honed his skills in the schools of abstract expressionism, surrealism, pop art, and arte povera: movements whose representatives grace the walls of 13 rue de Téhéran, once occupied by the Maeght gallery. The gallery is as prestigious now as it always was. 

  • Art
  • Design
  • 6e arrondissement

Galerie Kreo explores the best of both the Parisian and London art scenes with branches in both capitals. The focus here is on design, both past and present. Exhibits have explored the work of Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Marc Newson and Konstantin Grcic, and delving into the archives, the gallery also hosted canonical names Pierre Paulin, Pierre Guariche, Joe Colombo and Vico Magistretti.

Translation by Flora Hudson. 

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19. In Camera Galerie

From reportage to humanistic photography and documentary work, the authors that In Camera chooses to exhibit are modern or contemporary artists and recognised photographers (both in France and internationally). On the agenda, incredible black and white shots by Jane Evelyn Atwood, vibrant ones by Dutch photographer Bertien Van Manen, and the ‘Distress’ series by Stéphane Duroy. 

  • Art
  • Galleries
  • Le Marais
Galerie Daniel Templon
Galerie Daniel Templon

A Paris institution since the 1960s and conveniently located opposite the Centre Pompidou, Galerie Daniel Templon mainly shows paintings – wall-friendly items for wealthy private collectors. Jean-Michel Alberola, Gérard Garouste, Philippe Cognée and Vincent Corpet all feature on the list, along with the American David Salle and German expressionist Jonathan Meese. They also have a good few sculptures. It's a nice spot to see some of the best contemporary art from the continent and beyond. It's also a small walk rom Centre Georges Pompidou, for even more arts viewing. 

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