The Pompidou Center in Paris has opened a new exhibition titled Paris Noir, featuring the works of 150 Black artists from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. The exhibition focuses on artists whose works have been historically underrepresented in French institutions. It runs from March 19 through June 30.
The exhibition covers the period from the 1950s to 2000, offering a view of how Black artists engaged with social, political, and artistic movements during this time. According to the Pompidou, the exhibition examines Paris as a site of cultural exchange, resistance, and artistic experimentation. It explores the development of trans-cultural artistic practices and the impact of African diasporic artists on the evolution of Modernism and Postmodernism.
Paris Noir includes four new installations by Valérie John, Nathalie Leroy Fiévee, Jay Ramier, and Shuck One. These works acknowledge the contributions of earlier generations of Black artists to France’s cultural history. Artist Shuck One noted that his installation reflects on memory and legacy, focusing on the roles played by Black figures in shaping cultural identity within the French context. Other artists in the exhibition include Beauford Delaney, Wifredo Lam, Harold Cousins, Bob Thompson, and Georges Coran.
Curator Alicia Knock described the exhibition as a detailed study of decolonization and the varied roles Black artists held as creators, educators, and intellectuals. She said the exhibition aligns with Pan-Africanist ideas and highlights the networks and solidarities that formed among artists across the African diaspora. Associate curator Éva Barois De Caevel added that the exhibition also addresses the shared historical experiences of racism, migration, and inequality, and how these shaped the work and lives of the artists involved.
The exhibition discusses the period after World War II, when African American artists moved to Paris to find space for their work outside the United States. It also includes artists from former French colonies who worked within anti-colonial and civil rights frameworks.
Paris Noir is one of the last major exhibitions to take place at the Pompidou Center before it undergoes a five-year renovation starting in 2025. Nearly 40 works from the show have been added to the museum’s permanent collection. Curators hope the exhibition will prompt more institutions in France to consider the role of Black artists in shaping contemporary culture.
