As spring awakens the senses in Paris, the city’s museums and galleries bloom with an exceptional array of exhibitions that span centuries, continents, and disciplines. From grand retrospectives of iconic figures to immersive journeys into literature and textile traditions, this season offers something for every kind of art lover. Whether you are drawn to the vibrant hues of David Hockney, the inner turmoil of Suzanne Valadon, or the rich historical depth of gold-threaded garments, these five exhibitions currently on view capture the spirit of creativity that pulses through the French capital. Each exhibition is not only a visual experience but also an invitation to explore broader questions of identity, memory, and human expression.

The Fondation Louis Vuitton presents a monumental retrospective titled David Hockney 25, showcasing 70 years of the British artist's prolific career. From his early experiments in the 1950s to his vibrant iPad drawings and immersive video works, this exhibition traces the evolution of Hockney's artistic language. Among the highlights are iconic pieces such as "A Bigger Splash," " Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)," and rarely seen self-portraits. The show is curated by Norman Rosenthal and features over 450 artworks, making it the largest Hockney exhibition ever mounted in France. Open until August 31, 2025, it offers a deep dive into the painter’s innovations in color, perspective, and portraiture across multiple media. The show ends with a stunning and unexpected digital projection of monumental proportions which features a lesser-known aspect of Hockney's production: his work as a stage designer. The animated images provide a visual journey through some of his most remarkable productions.

Atelier des Lumières invites audiences into the poetic universe of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved tale "The Little Prince." This immersive digital experience uses cutting-edge projection mapping technology to transform the entire interior of the venue into a star-lit cosmos filled with swirling planets, desert landscapes, and dreamlike animations. Through large-scale projections that cover the floors and walls, an enveloping 360-degree sound design, and fluid, dynamic animations, the exhibition reimagines key scenes from the book: the desert landing, the rose, the fox, the baobabs, and the journey through the planets. Narrative voiceovers in multiple languages—including English and French—bring Saint-Exupéry’s poetic language to life, allowing visitors to hear and feel the emotional cadence of the story as they walk through each chapter. Designed to appeal to both children and adults, the exhibition also includes an interactive segment where visitors can write their own reflections and place them on a digital star map projected overhead.

The Centre Pompidou dedicates a major exhibition to Suzanne Valadon, a pioneering French artist who transitioned from being a model for Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Degas to becoming a celebrated painter in her own right. The exhibition, on view through May 26, 2025, follows her bold and unconventional career from the 1890s through the 1930s, offering a rare look at an artist who fearlessly charted her own course within the male-dominated art world of the 20th century. Exploring themes of femininity, maternity, aging, and psychological introspection, the exhibition includes around one hundred works—many drawn from private collections—spanning nudes, portraits, still lifes, and domestic interiors. Valadon’s palette is strikingly modern: she employed vivid, often clashing colors with heavy contours, creating an emotionally charged visual language that set her apart from her contemporaries. The exhibition also highlights Valadon’s complicated relationship with her son, Maurice Utrillo, himself an artist, and her role in shaping the Montmartre art scene. Rare archival photographs, diary entries, and letters supplement the paintings, helping to construct a fuller portrait of a woman who defied societal norms at every turn. Her powerful use of color, expressive lines, and unapologetic subject matter not only challenge gender expectations but also explore the inner life of women with a raw and unflinching honesty.

The Musée du Quai Branly hosts Threads of Gold, a breathtaking exhibition that explores the cultural significance of gold in textile traditions across Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. From Indian brocades to Japanese kimonos and Moroccan caftans, the show examines how gold thread has symbolized wealth, power, and spirituality. With more than 300 garments, accessories, and ceremonial textiles on display, the exhibition weaves a visual narrative that spans centuries. Interactive displays and documentary footage contextualize the techniques behind the weaving, embroidery, and dyeing processes. Threads of Gold highlights how fashion can serve as both artistic expression and historical documentation. The show continues through July 6, 2025, offering a glittering glimpse into the global language of luxury and identity. A lovely aspect of the show is the collaboration with Chinese Haute Couture designer Guo Pei, who in each section of the exhibition presents one of her contemporary creations. This way, visitors can appreciate the value of golden fibers in today’s fashion landscape, as well as establish visual connections between the historic archival pieces and these present-day objects.

The Musée Jacquemart-André unveils Artemisia: Heroine of Painting, a landmark exhibition celebrating Baroque master Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the first professional female painters in Western art history. The show brings together over 40 major works, including dramatic canvases like "Judith Slaying Holofernes" and "Susanna and the Elders," alongside intimate self-portraits. Tracing her stylistic journey across cities like Rome, Florence, Naples, and London, the exhibition explores how personal trauma, cultural influences, and family ties shaped her artistry. With contextual material on her connections to artists like her father Orazio and Galileo Galilei, the exhibition highlights her emotional realism, mastery of chiaroscuro, and pioneering portrayal of complex female subjects. Running from March 19 to August 3, 2025, this immersive show reaffirms Artemisia's vital place in art history and her legacy as a powerful voice for artistic and personal agency.

From April 24 to May 24, 2025, the Galerie de Buci in Paris presents Partitas, a compelling exhibition by Masha Schmidt that delves into the interplay between music and visual art. This retrospective encapsulates fifteen years of Schmidt's exploration into how musical structures can inform and transform visual expression. Drawing inspiration from Carl Czerny's pedagogical piano scores, known for their repetitive and mechanical nature, Schmidt reimagines these compositions through ink drawings on vintage sheet music, infusing them with emotion and spontaneity. The exhibition space itself becomes a canvas, with walls serving as extensions of the artwork, and features interactive elements like an alcove where visitors can create their own 'partitas.' Accompanied by the meditative rhythms of Bach, the exhibition invites viewers to experience a synesthetic journey that transcends traditional artistic boundaries. Schmidt's work stands as a poetic act of resistance against life's monotony, offering a space where art and music coalesce into a harmonious dialogue.

This spring, the Parisian art scene is as vibrant and multifaceted as ever, offering countless opportunities for discovery, contemplation, and delight. For those seeking a more intimate and poetic encounter with contemporary art, a visit to the Galerie de Buci is essential. There, Partitas, a solo exhibition by Masha Schmidt running through May 24, 2025, offers a moving exploration of the intersection between music, memory, and visual abstraction. Through ink on vintage sheet music and interactive installations, Schmidt reimagines musical repetition as a space of emotional resonance and creative freedom. Don’t miss the chance to immerse yourself in this unique sensory experience—one that bridges disciplines and invites you to hear with your eyes and see with your ears.