5 artists’ studios to visit around Paris

What if back-to-school were an opportunity to see art where it’s created? Here are five artists’ studios, open to the public and accessible from Paris. Another way to discover contemporary art.

1. Workshops at the Maison Elsa Triolet – Aragon (Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines)

In the couple’s former property, now a listed historic monument, several contemporary artists work in the former stables and outbuildings. Their work ranges from installations to ceramics and drawing.
The house regularly organizes open houses, readings and artistic encounters.

📍Maison Elsa Triolet-Aragon, Moulin de Villeneuve, Rue de la Villeneuve, 78730 Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines
Accessible by RER + bus – self-guided or guided tour depending on programming.

2. Les Ateliers de la Cour Roland (Jouy-en-Josas)

Housed in an old farmhouse on the edge of the forest, these workshops are home to some twenty artists and craftspeople: engravers, ceramists, painters, leatherworkers.
The site regularly offers workshops, open houses and demonstrations of skills. It’s a lively place, in tune with the environment.

📍Ateliers de la Cour Roland, Dom. de la Cr Roland, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas
🕒 RER C – stop Jouy-en-Josas then 10 min walk

3. Les Frigos (13ᵉ arrondissement de Paris)

Even though it’s located in the heart of Paris, Les Frigos deserves its place in this selection. Housed in a former SNCF warehouse, the venue is home to over 90 workshops, occasionally open to the public. Photographers, visual artists, musicians…

Visits are not permanent, but events such as Portes Ouvertes des Ateliers d’Artistes de Paris are worth watching out for.

📍Les Frigos, 19 Rue des Frigos, 75013 Paris
🕒 Métro Bibliothèque François Mitterrand

4. La Fonderie (Fontenay-sous-Bois)

This shared creative space is home to some fifteen artists and craftspeople working in painting, metalwork, mosaics and textile design.
The public is welcome by appointment, or on guided tours, in a spirit of sharing.

📍La Fonderie, 23 Rue de Neuilly, 94120 Fontenay-sous-Bois
🕒 RER A – Val de Fontenay stop

5. Mains d’Œuvres (Saint-Ouen)

Mains d’Œuvres, in Saint-Ouen, is an independent cultural venue that also hosts residencies for visual artists, performers and illustrators.
Regular open houses enable visitors to tour the studios, talk to the artists and take part in performances and temporary exhibitions. The site bridges the gap between contemporary creation and civic engagement.

📍Mains d’Œuvres, 1 Rue Charles Garnier, 93400 Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine
🕒 Metro Garibaldi (line 13) – free access depending on programming

Art out of the picture

These visits allow us to see art in the making, far from formatted discourse. Far from the veneer of galleries, these lively places also show gestures, tools, doubts and research.