Modern Art at its Finest at Galerie Perrotin

Emmanuel Perrotin is a contemporary art dealer who has represented many modern artists. His gallery in the Marais District of Paris opened in 2005. It has been popular enough with the art community that he bought another floor in the building and expanded it in 2010, but visitors to Paris often miss this gem, which doesn’t have any large signage outside.

This is not the Louvre, so don’t expect to see classic art. The exhibits of Galerie Perrotin may be beautiful — and to some, disturbing — or they may just take you in for an hour while you try to figure out the meaning. A recent exhibition was called “Toiletpaper,” while another was named “Gelatin Pavilion – Some Like It Hot.” Just remember that this is contemporary art, so you should allow for plenty of time to take in the whole experience. You can easily spend a day here.

To see the latest on the exhibits at Galerie Perrotin, you can check their website…but you may not recognize any of the artists. Galerie Perrotin often brings in undiscovered or underrated artists that the curators feel are worth a look. These artists are from around the world. Occasionally, there are exhibits involving multiple artists working together, such as “A History of Editions,” with Joseph Beuys, Marcel Duchamp and Takashi Murakami.

American Daniel Arsham has exhibited many pieces at Galerie Perrotin, including his recent tribute to the 200th anniversary of Perrier Jouet Champagne. Also look for exhibitions on loan from museums from around the world. “Indian Highway V” from Bharti Kher will be available for viewing through January, 2012. It is from the Maxxi National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome, Italy.

Galerie Perrotin is at 76 Rue de Turenne and is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

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• Modern Art at its Finest at Galerie Perrotin