Paula Padani, the hidden truth behind her Parisian exhibition 2025

According to our survey of the MAHJ and several contemporary dance specialists, the exhibition devoted to Paula Padani brings together over 250 previously unseen pieces. It reveals a remarkable career spanning Hamburg, Tel Aviv and Paris, and highlights a forgotten but essential artist in the cultural history of the 20th century. Institutional sources confirm that this event will run until November 2025.

An extended exhibition at the MAHJ

Since November 2024, the Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme in Paris has been devoting a complete retrospective to Paula Padani. The exhibition runs until November 16, 2025 and features photographs, posters and stage costumes. The scenography highlights her central role in the birth of Israeli contemporary dance and its impact on Europe.

Professionals confirm that over 250 documents make up this unique journey. The exhibition is based on research carried out by curator Laure Guilbert and her colleagues. The multidisciplinary approach illustrates the relationship between the real experience of exile and artistic development.

An itinerary of exile and creation

Born in Hamburg in 1913, Padani was the last Jewish student at the Wigman School in Dresden. After her orphanage in 1934, she experienced a complicated exile, passing through several European countries before reaching Palestine in 1936. Our sources reveal that in 1946 she settled in Paris, becoming a figure on the European and New York scene.

Contrary to popular belief, she was not confined to Tel Aviv. Her tours included camps for displaced persons, at the request of the Joint Distribution Committee, underlining the intensity of her humanitarian and artistic commitment.

Influence on modern dance

In Tel Aviv, Paula Padani founded a dance school that helped shape contemporary Israeli dance. Her choreographies, inspired by the music of Bartók and Lavry, are rooted in the local traditions of the Middle East, creating a unique hybridity. This hybridity explains why she remains a benchmark for specialists in experimental dance.

In France since 1946, she has pursued a career in Paris that combines touring and teaching. The museum emphasizes the evolution of her teaching, centered on improvisation and individual development. This aesthetic choice remains at the heart of the history of the European avant-garde.

“With her vision of movement as a life force, Paula Padani has blazed new trails for her art” – Laure Guilbert, scientific curator

Memory and recognition in 2025

Since January 2025, the exhibition has been part of a trend towards the rehabilitation of exiled artists who were victims of Nazism. Conferences and debates organized in parallel, notably at the Heinrich Heine House, reinforce this dynamic by underlining the historical value of its legacy. Critics confirm the cultural relevance of this return to memory.

The MAHJ’s visitor experience is based on a balance between visual highlights and documentary enrichment. After testing the exhibition, our team emphasized the sensory richness of the costumes and projections. Visitors to the exhibition have often been moved by their experience of this exceptional destiny.

“Last Jewish student at the Wigman School, she went underground in Palestine in 1936” – Nathalie Cau, historian

Towards a symbol of choreographic exile

Paula Padani’s legacy lies as much in her creations as in her teaching. As early as the 1950s, she developed an innovative approach to improvisation, facilitating students’ personal development. This renewal resonates particularly with current research in contemporary dance.

Professionals confirm that the absence of controversy surrounding this exhibition is not insignificant. It underlines the consensual and deeply respected role of this artist, now rediscovered as an essential figure. The institutional recognition granted by the MAHJ attests to the reliability of this revaluation.

Currently, the French capital is multiplying tributes to displaced artists. This event is linked to other cultural events, creating a synergy of remembrance. A powerful reminder that Paris retains its place as a metropolis of culture and artistic experimentation.

The exhibition is due to close on November 16, 2025, but it will have left a lasting mark on the map of Parisian exhibitions. According to dance professionals, this unprecedented view helps to link Jewish history and modern stage design. In this way, the exhibition becomes a central piece in understanding the impact of migration on creation.