3 excellent art galleries in the Marais

The Marais is traditionally the neighborhood of the Jewish and LGBT communities and also home to numerous art galleries. They are numerous and range from small rooms to entire buildings showcasing a panorama of contemporary art. Best of all, admission to the art galleries in the Marais is always free!

Check out our 3 favorite art galleries in the Marais below:

Emmanuel Perrotin began working with art at the age of 17 and opened his first art gallery in his own apartment at 24. In 1990, he inaugurated Galerie Perrotin in the Marais, the first to promote the works of Maurizio Cattelan (which we discussed here) and Takashi Murakami (who has collaborated with Louis Vuitton and previously exhibited his works in Versailles, click here). The art exhibited at Perrotin usually has a strong pop side that flirts with other areas like fashion, music, design, and street art. Other artists represented by Perrotin include: Sophie Calle, JR (who made the Louvre pyramid 'disappear', click here), KAWS, Terry Richardson, Xavier Veilhan (who has also exhibited in Versailles and is the author of the large light installation at Lafayette Homme, click here and here), among many others.

The gallery is located at 76 rue de Turenne: enter through the large gate and cross the internal courtyard to the building at the back. Also, don't miss the bookstore - located in the same courtyard, to the right - and the annex - which is on the side street (10 Impasse Saint Claude) - where exhibitions continue.

Currently on display are the exhibitions of the previously mentioned Murakami and his pop and colorful interpretations of Japanese legends and traditions, and Bharti Kher, with her gravity-defying sculptures. Both will run until December 23, 2016. Admission is free.

Galerie Perrotin: 76 rue de Turenne, 75003 and 10 Impasse Saint Claude, 75003. Metro line 8, station Saint-Sébastien - Froissart. Open Tuesday to Saturday, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Click here to visit the official site of Galerie Perrotin.

Thaddaeus Ropac opened his first gallery in Salzburg, Austria, in 1983. The Marais location was inaugurated in 1990. Galerie Ropac operates in nearly the same universe of art as Perrotin and represents important artists (and estates of artists) from various movements including: Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Joseph Beuys, Gilbert & George, among others.

In 2012, a branch of the gallery was opened in northeastern Paris, near the Philharmonie de Paris and the Parc de la Villette. The new venture, located in an old factory and adjacent buildings, has a total area of 5,000m² and is used for displaying large works.

Currently on display at the Marais gallery are works by Robert Rauschenberg from his Salvage series, created between 1983 and 1985, which utilize paint and silkscreen from old photographs in a sort of collage. On the top floor of the gallery is the sculpture Porte-Bouteille, one of the most influential of the 20th century, created by Marcel Duchamp in 1959 and purchased by Rauschenberg himself. Surrounding the readymade sculpture are also documents and drawings related to it and other works by Duchamp.

Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac: 7 rue Debelleyme, 75003 Paris. Metro line 8, station Filles du Calvaire. Open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM / 69 avenue du Général Leclerc, 93500 Pantin. Open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. RER E train (direction Chelles or Villiers-sur-Marne), station Pantin.

Click here to visit the official site of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac.

The great designer Azzedine Alaïa has a large building in the Marais where his studios operate, along with his store, home, a micro hotel for hosting friends, and an art gallery. In this publicly accessible gallery, he exhibits works by artists he likes and befriends, shows films and performances, and showcases his collections twice a year. As the curation is done from a personal and emotional perspective, visiting Galerie Alaïa is a great opportunity to see the works of lesser-known artists or those not hyped by the media.

Galerie Azzedine Alaïa, 18 rue de la Verrerie, 75004. Metro lines 1 or 11, station Hôtel de Ville. Open daily from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Enter through the large gate and cross the internal courtyard to the building at the back. In the same courtyard, to the right, there is a sort of outlet for the brand.

Also read these other articles about the Marais and some of its museums and attractions:

At our online agency My Trip to Paris, we offer several tours in the Marais area: a guided walking tour with our expert guide Zildinha Figueiredo (click here for more information) and a traditional French cuisine circuit with chef Karen Goldman (click here for more information)