Entrée to Black Paris Blog

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Paris Noir Opens at the Centre Pompidou

Cover image: Entrance to Paris Noir exhibition
© Entrée to Black Paris

The wait was over an hour long to get into the Centre Pompidou for the Tuesday, March 18 vernissage (opening) of the museum's last show before closing for a 5-year renovation project.

Paris Noir (Black Paris) is the toast of Paris!

The full title of the exhibition is Paris Noir: Circulations artistiques et luttes anticoloniales 1950-2000.

Exhibition catalog cover

The museum describes it as follows:

"From the creation of the Présence Africaine review to that of Revue noire, “Black Paris” retraces the presence and influence of Black artists in France from the 1950s to 2000. The exhibition celebrates 150 artists coming from Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean, whose works have often never been displayed in France before."

Two events launched the show prior to the public opening reception on March 18.

On Sunday, March 16, Columbia Global Centers Paris at Reid Hall hosted an event called "A Celebration of Paris Noir."

Check-in table at Reid Hall
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Exhibition curator Alicia Knock welcomed the standing-room-only crowd in the recently refurbished Grande Salle and presented the concept of the show. She then introduced the moderator and panelists, who proceeded to engage in a scintillating conversation.

Moderator Maboula Soumahoro began the discussion by asking panelists Denise Murrell, Darren Walker, and Claude Grunitzky what they think of when they hear the words "Paris Noir" ("Black Paris").

Curator Alicia Knock addresses the crowd
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L to R: Moderator Maboula Soumahouro and
panelists Denise Murrell, Darren Walker, and Claude Grenitzky
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This question opened multiple streams of discussion that lasted well beyond the scheduled end time.

On Monday, March 17, the Ford Foundation hosted a private opening of the exhibition. A veritable "Who's Who" of the professional art world attended this event.

As president of the French nonprofit association Les Amis de Beauford Delaney and founder and CEO of the Wells International Foundation, I was thrilled to see that the focal point of the first room of the exhibition is Beauford Delaney's magnificent landscape entitled Street Scene, 1968.

Room 1 of Paris Noir exhibition viewed from queuing area
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There are twenty-eight (28) areas grouped into fifteen (15) rooms in this monumental show, which is organized somewhat like a labyrinth around a central circular area that evokes the ocean. It is meant to call to mind the Black Atlantic and the "Tout-Monde" philosophy of the Afro-French writer, Edouard Glissant.

Motif of the Black Atlantic
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A total of fourteen Beauford Delaney works are displayed in various rooms throughout the exhibition. I will publish images and information about them in upcoming posts on the Les Amis de Beauford Delaney blog.

Paris Noir is a 50-year journey through the evolution of esthetic and political artistic expression, beginning with the acknowledgement of the influence of the Présence Africaine journal/publishing house.

Woman in rainbow braids contemplates Présence Africaine installation
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Works by Black artists from Africa, Europe, North America (including the Caribbean), and South America complement or contrast with each other in the context of thoughtfully selected themes, including Paris comme Ecole (Paris as a School), Paris Dakar Lagos, and Solidarités révolutionnaires (Revolutionary solidarities).

Paris comme Ecole - info panel
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Sculptures punctuate each room.

Couple antillais 1957
Wood
Agustin Cárdenas
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The exhibition presents a fair number of works by female artists, including Luce Turnier, Ming Smith, and Younousse Seye.

They are not grouped together; rather, they hang in the appropriate room of the show based on the theme with which they align.

Sans titre 1985
Luce Turnier
Collage of mimeographed paper
© Entrée to Black Paris

Self-portrait as Josephine, New York 1986
Ming Smith
Inkjet printing; modern print
© Entrée to Black Paris

(The U.S. government is honoring photographer Ming Smith with a private reception at the U.S. Ambassador's residence on the evening of Thursday, March 20.)

When leaving the exhibition to go to the Ford Foundation reception, the huge XULY Bët installation next to the exit caused me to pause and contemplate the story of this urban fashion icon. Lamine Badiane Kouyaté launched this brand in the early 90s, right around the time I arrived in Paris.

The reception was definitely one to remember. It was held at Le Georges, the rooftop restaurant at the Centre Pompidou. There were the obligatory speeches by the team that organized the exhibition, gracious thanks to Ford Foundation president, Darren Walker, great food and drink, and fabulous entertainment.

I believe that the most memorable performance of the evening was that of Brian Scott Bagley, who impersonated Josephine Baker by singing and dancing wearing a banana skirt and high heels.

The Centre Pompidou is rounding out this opening week of events with a two-day colloquium that will take place on Thursday, March 20 and Friday, March 21. The first day of events will take place at the museum, while the second day will unfold at the Musée du quai Branly Jacques Chirac.

(I will speak during the "Dans la ville" ["In the City"] segment of the second day of the colloquium [Friday, March 21 from 2 PM to 4 PM].)

A third, single round table discussion will take place on Saturday at the Campus Condocet.

This series of panel discussions is open to the public. For information (site in French), click HERE.

Even a cursory visit to the Paris Noir exhibition will take considerable time.

If you are interested in an in-depth plunge into the subject matter, I strongly advise you to plan several visits.

I spent seven hours viewing the show during the public opening, even after having seen it the day before!

Paris Noir will be on display through June 30, 2025 in Galerie 1, Level 6 of the Centre Pompidou.

Click HERE to purchase tickets.