This spring, the Centre national d’art et de culture Georges-Pompidou, aka Centre Pompidou, unveils Paris Noir, an ambitious and long-awaited exhibition spotlighting the contributions of Black artists to the city’s cultural and artistic legacy from the 1950s to the dawn of the new millennium. Featuring more than 150 artists, including Beauford Delaney, Shuck One, Valérie John, and Jay Ramier, the exhibition offers an expansive and timely lens on the creative dialogues that have shaped modern Paris across painting, photography, sculpture, performance, and multimedia. By tracing networks of exchange, kinship, and influence across the Black Atlantic and into the heart of Paris, Paris Noir reimagines the city as a site of fluid borders, shared memory, and radical artistic possibility.

The event is a must-visit for art lovers, fashion enthusiasts, and fans of the Peanuts series. The exhibition offers a unique blend of nostalgia and contemporary fashion, providing insights into the lasting influence of Schulz’s creations. Whether you’re in search of diverting entertainment or a rare glimpse into Peanut’s and Paris fashion history, this event is for you.

Paris has long been a beacon for Black visual artists, offering a space for creative freedom and cultural exchange. In the post-World War II era, the city became a refuge for African American artists seeking respite from the racial segregation of the United States. Neighborhoods like Montmartre and Pigalle emerged as vibrant centers for Black artistic communities, providing not only inspiration but also platforms for exhibition and performance.

The establishment by Senegalese philosopher and editor Alioune Diop of the magazine Présence Africaine in 1947 marked a pivotal moment in fostering a Pan-African artistic and intellectual movement. The magazine, which expanded into a publishing house in 1949, became a hub for Black artists and thinkers, organizing events like the 1956 International Congress of Black Writers and Artists, which attracted figures such as James Baldwin and Édouard Glissant. Visual artists like Gérard Sekoto and Beauford Delaney were integral to this milieu, contributing to a rich tapestry of artistic expression that challenged colonial narratives and celebrated Black identity.

The Paris Noir exhibition at the Centre Pompidou highlights the contributions of these artists, showcasing works that span from the 1950s to 2000. By bringing together over 300 pieces from 150 artists of African descent, the exhibition underscores the profound impact of Black visual art on Paris’s cultural landscape, which served as both a backdrop and a catalyst for creation, resistance, and the evolving construction of Black identities.

Spanning more than five decades, Paris Noir brings together an extraordinary collection of works by over 150 artists. Expect a rich mix of painting, photography, textile art, installations, and archival material that charts the evolving presence and influence of Black artists in Paris—from the anti-colonial movements of the 1950s to the urban contemporary aesthetics of the 2000s.

Featured artists include both pioneers and contemporary voices. Beauford Delaney’s vibrant abstract figurations stand alongside the bold visual language of Shuck One, a graffiti and visual artist born in Guadeloupe.

The textile and mixed media works of Valérie John explore identity, tradition, and memory, while Jay Ramier contributes a new site-specific installation that weaves together archival family photographs and video. Together, these artists reflect the complex, layered realities of Black life in and beyond Paris.

Interactive spaces, film screenings, and public conversations with contemporary Black artists and curators are planned throughout the run of the show. This is more than an exhibition—it’s an event, a reckoning, and a celebration of Paris’s Black artistic lifeblood.

The Centre Pompidou, an icon of high-tech architecture and a bastion of modern and contemporary art, is a fitting host for Paris Noir. With its exposed structural skeleton and vibrant exterior pipes, the building itself defies tradition—a nod to the radical and boundary-pushing spirit of the exhibition within.

Located in the heart of the Marais district, the museum is surrounded by a lively mosaic of cafés, boutiques, galleries, and bookstores. After your visit, take a short stroll to Place Stravinsky to enjoy the playful sculptures and fountains, or venture into Rue Rambuteau for a cozy meal at Le Colimaçon or a drink at La Perle. For a deeper dive into diasporic history, the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme and Institut du Monde Arabe are within easy reach.

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Why you should attend

Paris Noir is essential viewing for art lovers, history buffs, and anyone interested in the layered cultural story of Paris. It’s an opportunity to experience powerful, provocative, and poetic works that challenge canonical perspectives and elevate long-overlooked voices. Whether you’re a local Parisian or a curious traveler, this exhibition offers a meaningful lens on the city’s past, present, and future.

Families will find it accessible; students will find it illuminating; artists and thinkers will find it electric.