February confirms that winter is one of the most stimulating seasons for a photo exhibition in ParisBetween historical reinterpretations, recent tributes and profoundly political approaches, the capital affirms the power of the photographic medium and the diversity of perspectives that shape our understanding of the contemporary world.
Ayana V. Jackson — I Would Follow Her by Ground and Sea, Mariane Ibrahim Gallery
At Mariane Ibrahim's gallery, Ayana V. Jackson presents a body of work deeply influenced by history and memory. Born in 1977, the American artist creates a series of performative self-portraits in which she embodies Black female figures erased or marginalized by dominant narratives. Among them is Sarah Forbes Bonetta, enslaved in the 19th century before becoming a protégée of Queen Victoria.
The exhibition notably features works from the series From the DeepUnveiled for the first time at the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., Jackson's work is more than just an aesthetic gesture; it asserts a political stance: his work was recently cited by the American administration among works deemed "problematic." Photography, installation, and immersive video comprise a multifaceted practice where the image becomes a tool of resistance and memorial reappropriation.
Martin Parr — Global Warning, Jeu de Paume
The death of Martin Parr on December 6, 2025 gives the exhibition a particular resonance. Global Warning presented at the Jeu de Paume. This retrospective appears as a testamentary reading of more than fifty years of an ironic and lucid look at the banality of the globalized world.
Parr focused on overcrowded beaches, shopping malls, mass tourism, and popular leisure activities. With The Last Resort (1983–1985), he established a saturated and direct aesthetic that permanently transformed documentary photography. Without moralizing, he revealed the social, cultural, and environmental tensions embedded in our everyday actions. Today, his work is reinterpreted in light of climate change and the Anthropocene.
Tania Mouraud — Dreaming of being a butterfly, Ceysson & Bénétière gallery
Recently admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts, Tania Mouraud presents an exhibition devoted to her photographic practice. At 83, the artist continues a radical trajectory begun in 1968 when she burned all of her canvases in a seminal auto-da-fé.
His series Display cases ou Manufactured images demonstrate a body of work that oscillates between reality and fiction. With Dreaming of being a butterflyShe reminds us that every image constitutes a space of metamorphosis. The exhibition reveals a work where perception becomes blurred and where the gaze becomes matter.
Dana Lixenberg — American Images, European House of Photography
With American ImagesThe MEP is dedicating the largest retrospective to Dana Lixenberg. Since the early 1990s, the Dutch artist has been developing a sensitive and nuanced observation of American society.
His iconic series Imperial CourtsThe exhibition, dedicated to a Watts community in Los Angeles, engages in a dialogue with his portraits of cultural icons like Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Working with a large-format camera, Lixenberg prioritizes extended time and close engagement with his subjects. The exhibition brings together editorial work, personal projects, Polaroids, and a video installation, offering a profound exploration of contemporary America.
Henri Cartier-Bresson — The Europeans, Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation
The Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation presents Europeans, on the occasion of the reissue of the book published in 1955. In the context of the Cold War and the construction of Europe, Cartier-Bresson travelled across the continent to create a portrait of the peoples and their unique characteristics.
The exhibition brings together some of the key images from the book, whose original cover was designed by Joan Miró. It showcases the rigor of the "decisive moment" and the attention to ordinary gestures that shaped the history of modern photography.
Galerie Joseph — A photographic program in the heart of the Marais
In this particularly rich landscape, Joseph Gallery It also affirms its leading role in Parisian cultural vitality. Located in the heart of the Marais, the gallery develops a program attentive to contemporary writing and to artists who question the social, aesthetic and memorial transformations of our time.
In dialogue with each photo exhibition in Paris that marks the winter season, Galerie Joseph champions vibrant, experimental, and socially engaged photography. Its curatorial approach favors unique perspectives and hybrid forms, actively contributing to the artistic vibrancy of the capital.
Paris, capital of the contemporary gaze
February 2026 thus confirms that every photo exhibition in Paris becomes a space for reflection on our societies, our memories, and our cultural transformations. In a context where images shape our understanding of the world, this diverse and engaged photo exhibition in Paris reminds us how essential photography remains as a tool for understanding the present and preserving collective narratives. Paris, capital of the contemporary gaze
