The ‘Paris, Open at Night’ exhibition at the Galerie Roger-Viollet

The ‘Paris, Open at Night’ exhibition is a cultural event that transforms the capital into an open-air night-time museum.

paris nuit culture kodd magazine

The aim is to enable the public to discover artworks, installations, performances and art trails after dark, in an immersive and poetic atmosphere.

Paris by Night

Paris never sleeps and never goes dark, for it is the City of Light. It transforms and reinvents itself. And it is precisely this nocturnal metamorphosis that the renowned Galerie Roger-Viollet showcases in its new exhibition, Paris, Open at Night. As the summer solstice approaches, the capital reveals another side to itself: freer, more mysterious, more cinematic. A city which, once the lights of day have gone out, gives way to an aesthetic where shadow becomes substance and light, a language.

Stunning black and white photographs

Through 70 photographs drawn from the archives of the City of Paris and by renowned photographers such as François Kollar, Janine Niepce and René-Jacques, the exhibition reveals a transformed city: metamorphosed perspectives, electrifying silhouettes, places that lie dormant by day but come alive from dusk till dawn. From Montmartre to Rue de Lappe, from women’s cabarets to Les Halles, Paris reveals itself in its freest, most mysterious and poetic guise a city that, at night, reinvents its own narrative. The black-and-white photographs reveal a timeless beauty, where every contrast becomes an emotion.

They capture Paris in a raw aesthetic, sculpted by ‘the density of black and the stark whiteness of electric lights’. In this exhibition, they transform the night into visual poetry, offering a depth that only monochrome can reveal. This nocturnal journey reveals a capital open to mystery, strangeness and poetry. A city which, far from the hustle and bustle of the day, lays bare its fringes, its secrets and its vibrations. A city that inspires, fascinates and hypnotises. A city which, at night, becomes a playground for artists, a laboratory for the gaze, a theatre for anonymous silhouettes.

paris exposition culture kodd magazine

Our thoughts on the opening

This format showcases Paris in a different light, playing on light, the urban atmosphere and the sensory experience, and attracts a curious audience whether night owls or those seeking a timeless experience. ‘Paris, Open at Night’ is not just an exhibition: it is an immersion in an atmosphere, a visual memory, a way of experiencing Paris differently. An invitation to rediscover the City of Light when it is illuminated in a different way.

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

Une publication partagée par Roger-Viollet (@roger_viollet)

The opening: Roger Viollet Gallery
From 11 June 2026 to 3 October 2026, from 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm
Admission: free entry
Address: 6 rue de Seine, 75006 Paris