On Île Seguin, the new art center Large unveils its spectacular building and a first exhibition focused on Renault's history

Sur l’île Seguin, le nouveau centre d’art Large dévoile son bâtiment spectaculaire et une première expo tournée vers l’histoire de Renault

On Île Seguin, the new contemporary art center Large unveiled its spectacular building designed by Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes during a press preview on May 21. The center, backed by real estate developer Emerige and its president Laurent Dumas, will open to the public on October 17. Its inaugural exhibition, curated by Cecilia Alemani, explores the history of the automobile and the island's industrial past as the site of Renault factories from 1929 to 1992, featuring works by 55 contemporary artists including Julio Le Parc, Nina Beier, Thomas Bayrle, Mohamed El Khatib, and Giulia Andreani.

Croissant, pigeon… At Nothing Serious gallery, artist Paa Joe transforms Parisian clichés into pop coffins

Croissant, pigeon… À la galerie Nothing Serious, l’artiste Paa Joe transforme les clichés parisiens en cercueils pop

Ghanaian artist Paa Joe has transformed iconic Parisian symbols into vibrant "fantasy coffins" for his solo exhibition, "From Paa Joe to Paaris," at Galerie Nothing Serious. The show features 25 large-scale sculptures, including a Café de Flore cup, a croissant, a Renault 4L, and a bottle of Pouilly-Fumé, all handcrafted in the tradition of Ga burial customs. Created alongside his son Jacob Tetteh-Ashong, these works reinterpret French clichés through a playful yet surreal lens, marking the gallery's return after a four-year hiatus.

Rachida Dati Resigns as French Minister of Culture to Run for Mayor of Paris

rachida dati minister of culture france mayor paris

Rachida Dati has announced her resignation as France’s Minister of Culture to launch a bid for the Mayor of Paris in the upcoming March elections. Appointed in 2024 under President Emmanuel Macron, Dati’s tenure was marked by controversy and criticism from outlets like Le Monde, which characterized her term as a series of publicity stunts that failed to address critical reforms in public broadcasting and institutional issues at the Louvre.

Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918–1939

The Saint Louis Art Museum is presenting "Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918–1939," a major exhibition on view from April 12 to July 27, 2025. Curated by Genevieve Cortinovis, the show brings together automobiles, haute couture, painting, sculpture, photography, film, and decorative arts to explore the intertwined evolution of fashion and car design in early 20th-century France. Highlights include a 1917 painting by Henri Matisse depicting the view from his Renault, juxtapositions of Alfa Romeo and Citroën logos with works by Piet Mondrian and Charles Loupot, and a c. 1927 dress by Suzanne Talbot inspired by Tutankhamun's funerary mask. The exhibition draws heavily from local and midwestern collections, including the Missouri Historical Society.

frances culture minister to stand trial for accused abuse of power and corruption

France's culture minister, Rachida Dati, will stand trial on charges of abuse of power and corruption stemming from her time as a Member of the European Parliament. She is accused of receiving €900,000 in lawyer's fees from a Renault-Nissan subsidiary between 2010 and 2012 while allegedly lobbying for the carmaker in the European Parliament, a prohibited activity. Dati, who has denied the allegations, was charged in 2019. The trial date is expected to be set at a hearing on September 29, and could occur after the Paris municipal elections in March 2026, for which Dati has expressed her candidacy.