Le Royal Monceau Art Concierge's Paris Art Guide

It’s not every day that you get to sit down and chat with one of the few art concierges in the world, but we managed to snag Le Royal Monceau’s Raffles Paris Art Concierge Julie Eugène to give us an insider look into the art world of Paris. From the stunning work in Le Royal Monceau and the constantly changing exhibits around town to where's the best place to find deals on works to bring home, Eugène is constantly taking the pulse of the vibrant art scene in the City of Light.

Best times to go to Paris’ famous museums (best time to avoid crowds, any tips on how to avoid the crowds, etc.)?

Paris offers a lot of museums, foundations, and art galleries to see, it’s one of the most or maybe the most artistic city in the world, and Paris is renowned for that. So, I have to say that there is not really a best time in the year to visit Paris’ famous museums if you want to avoid the crowd. The best is to visit museums during the week, and avoid weekends if you can. And depending on the museum and the exhibition it hosts, some timeslot will be less crowded than others. But If you really want to have an exclusive experience, I can propose private guided tours or even to privatize a museum for a visit extra opening hours to the public.

Top under-the-radar or new and up-and-coming galleries to visit?

Rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth 75003 Paris, in the “Haut Marais” also called “Homa village” is the street where every new good art galleries are settling-down. Between the Marais and Republique, the chic and trendy area attract new galleries, concept stores and cafés. Typically Parisian!

Best exhibits in Paris right now?

-          Irving Penn, until January 29^th, 2018 - Grand Palais

-          Malick Sidibé: Mali twist, until February 25^th, 2018 – Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain

-          Being Modern : MOMA in Paris, until March 5^th, 2018 – Fondation Louis Vuitton

-          César, until March 26^th, 2018 - Centre Pompidou

-          Margiela / Galliera (1989-2009), from March 3^rd to July 15^th, 2018 - Palais Galliera

-          Guernica, from March 27^th to July 29^th, 2018 – Musée Picasso

Any street art visitors should go see?

For street-art lovers, I advise them to visit the 13^th arrondissement of Paris which gather most of the Graffiti frescos of Paris.

Moreover, Palais de Tokyo hosts “Lasco Project” since 2012 and every year new artist(s) invade the institution. From February 16^th to September 9^th, 2018, Nina Chanel Abney will present her in situ paintings and surprise the visitors.

And for those who would like to buy artworks of street artists, I advise them to go to:

-          Galerie Le Feuvre (164 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré 75008 Paris),

-          Galerie Speerstra (24 rue Saint-Claude 75003 Paris),

-          Galerie Artistik Rezo (14 rue Alexandre Dumas 75011 Paris),

-          Galerie Itinerrance (24 bis boulevard du Général Jean Simon 75013 Paris) and more...

Indeed, I can propose a tailor-made selection of walls and art galleries specialized in Street Art to the guests of the hotel. And last but not least, our Librairie des Arts, propose a large selection of books and artist limited editions with in particular some street art collectible. We presented until January 31^st, a pop-up show of Banksy’s discs covers and the concept store propose regularly limited editions of Shepard Fairey, Invader, or Kaws.

Are there any up-and-coming artists in Paris art enthusiasts should see while in Paris?  

It is always difficult to pick an artist to advise because art is a question of taste. Moreover, I’m already sure that I will discover new artists this year. But, if I have to name a few, I would absolutely choose the following French artists: Baptiste Debombourg (represented by Galerie Patricia Dorfmann), Charlotte Charbonnel (represented by Backslash gallery), Lauren Collin (represented by Galerie Dutko) and Lionel Sabatté (represented by Galerie Eva Hober).   

Will Le Royal Monceau host any new exhibits, art activations, or partnerships in 2018?

In 2018, Le Royal Monceau starts a partnership with Art Photo Expo represented by Audrey and François Trabelsi. After three successful shows in 2017 in collaboration with them, we decided to launch a cycle of exhibition exclusively with this partner. The cycle will start with “In Fashion” (from January 26^th to March 31^st, 2018). This show will present the work of twenty-one fashion photographers (Jeanloup Sieff, Melvin Sokolsky, Pierre Boulat, Georges Dambier, Douglas Kirkland, Albert Watson and Arthur Elgort) to pay tribute to Fashion and fashion designers from Coco Chanel to Christian Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent or Louboutin, through photographs from the fifties’ to today. To highlight the fashion week and this exhibition, we will present a handmade paper dress created by the British artist Zoe Bradley. The monumental sculpture will welcome every guests in the lobby of the Palace. Of course, we will renew like every year our partnerships with FIAC, Paris Photo or Art Paris Art Fair, unmissable art fairs in Paris. And we keep some surprises to come for our guests and art lovers.

For more information on the five-star Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris be sure to explore their website.