An innovative exhibition at the Pompidou Center in Paris highlights the impact of Black artists in the city from the 1950s to 2000, offering an immersive exploration of France’s dynamic capital and its history of anti-colonial and civil rights movements.

Titled “Black Paris,” the exhibition showcases the works of about 150 prominent artists of African descent, many of whom have rarely or never been exhibited in France before. Running from March 19 to June 30, this is one of the final shows before the museum undergoes a five-year renovation later this year.

Éva Barois De Caevel, the associate curator, called the exhibition “unprecedented,” with over 300 pieces, including paintings and sculptures by artists from diverse backgrounds. She emphasized that the exhibit focuses on “Black consciousness” rather than geography or race, shaped by shared experiences of slavery and racism.

Following World War II, many African American painters, musicians, and intellectuals moved to Paris seeking freedom unavailable in the United States at the time. Barois De Caevel explained that Paris represented an escape from racial segregation for many, who enjoyed being treated equally in public spaces.

However, she noted that this freedom was complex, as African Americans faced racism directed specifically at Black Africans and Algerians in France, as highlighted by writer James Baldwin.

The exhibition also explores how African artists from French colonies and former colonies, as well as Caribbean artists, came to Paris to join political and intellectual movements advocating for civil rights and racial justice. Others were involved in supporting independence movements in the region.

Alicia Knock, the exhibition’s curator, praised the ambitious scope of the show, describing it as an “incredible epic of decolonization.” She pointed out that Paris served as both a “lab for Pan-Africanism” and an “anti-colonial workshop.”

Visitors will see how these artists helped redefine modernism and postmodernism, shaping abstract art and surrealism while promoting Black solidarity. Many of these artists were not only creators but also cultural ambassadors, teachers, poets, and philosophers.

For some artists from the U.S., Paris also served as a gateway to Africa, according to Knock, who shared insights from the families of some artists: “They came to Paris to go to Africa, and in the end, they found Africa in Paris.”

The exhibition also features contemporary installations from four artists, including Shuck One, a Black graffiti artist from Guadeloupe.

Additionally, the Pompidou Center has acquired around 40 pieces from the show, which will become part of the museum's permanent collection.

“This is just the beginning,” said Knock. “It’s a small step for many French institutions to start recognizing, collecting, and preserving these artists' works. Hopefully, they will dedicate solo exhibitions to many of them, as they truly deserve it.”