Paris Noir: Black Artists and the Legacy of Creative Resistance at the Centre Pompidou

Paris Noir: A Monumental Retrospective

For much of the 20th century, Paris functioned as a cultural sanctuary for Black artists seeking freedom, visibility, and creative autonomy. The exhibition Paris Noir, now on view at the Centre Pompidou, is a landmark in institutional curatorial practice—featuring over 350 works by 150 artists spanning the years 1950 to 2000.

Artistic Diaspora and Aesthetic Exchange

The show opens with a poignant 1947 self-portrait by Gerard Sekoto, whose migration from South Africa to France marked a profound shift in his artistic journey. Works by Beauford Delaney, Chéri Samba, Sam Middleton, Wifredo Lam, and Everlyn Nicodemus provide a sweeping overview of diasporic expression, interweaving visual languages and political consciousness across continents.

Curatorial Perspective and Institutional Impact

Curated by Alicia Knock and Éva Barois De Caevel, Paris Noir reframes Black presence within European modernism, highlighting contributions to global discourses on anti-colonialism, freedom of expression, and cultural identity. For many featured artists, Paris offered a reprieve from systemic exclusions, allowing their practices to thrive.

Corrective Histories

This exhibition is also part of a broader institutional recalibration. As noted by Knock, the inclusion of these works signals a step toward diversifying the Centre Pompidou’s permanent collection, which is undergoing a re-envisioning ahead of its scheduled reopening in 2030.

Exhibition Dates and Significance

Paris Noir runs through 30 June 2025, offering an unprecedented opportunity to engage with five decades of brilliance and resistance in Black artistic practice. It stands as one of the most important events on the international art calendar this year.

Sources

• The Guardian – Exhibition Shines Light on Black Artists in Postwar Paris
• The Guardian – Exhibition Honours 50 Years of Black Art in Paris

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