World Photography Day: 10 Paris exhibitions to see before the end of summer
World Photography Day falls every year on 19 August, and Paris 2026 is marking the occasion with rare generosity. This season, exhibitions are multiplying across the capital, from the banks of the Seine to the museums of the 16th arrondissement. Photography lovers and curious visitors alike have plenty to feast their eyes on before the back-to-school rush.
The MEP: a double bill celebrating the photographic medium
The Maison Européenne de la Photographie is presenting two separate exhibitions this summer, both on view until 13 September 2026. The first shines a light on Camille Vivier, whose work redefines the female body in all its forms. Bringing together nearly a hundred works, the show traces twenty-five years of a fascinating career, spanning sharp fashion editorials and the underground art scene.
Flesh enters into dialogue with inanimate objects, provoking and questioning in equal measure. From one image to the next, Camille Vivier plays with conventions to unsettle our certainties and celebrate a raw, textured force that feels almost tangible. Her work stands out as one of the highlights of this photography season.
The second exhibition, conceived as a visual alphabet, brings together around thirty artists to mark the bicentenary of photography. Accessible to newcomers and connoisseurs alike, it presents a cross-section of perspectives from the 1920s to the present day, an invitation to grasp the full richness of a medium that has endured through the ages.
Levitation and Marilyn: two singular takes on the body
At the railings of the Tour Saint-Jacques, photographer Mathieu Forget presents more than 40 images taken in the four corners of the globe. His exhibition traces 10 years of photography dedicated to bodies in suspension, captured at the precise moment they leave the ground. Each image is composed with extraordinary precision, creating a singular harmony between subject and surroundings.
Meanwhile, the Galerie de l’Instant charts the evolution of Marilyn Monroe through the lens of Sam Shaw, a close friend of the actress. From behind-the-scenes moments on set to intimate portraits and everyday scenes, these remarkably deep photographs trace the journey of a woman who was so often mistreated. The exhibition runs until 15 September 2026 and is free to enter.
« La chair dialogue avec les objets inanimés, pour provoquer et questionner. »
Fragile Beauty, All Inclusive and Paris by night: three angles on our times
At the Jeu de Paume, the exhibition Fragile Beauty draws on the collection of Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, which numbers more than 7,000 photographs. Across five thematic sections, names such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Irving Penn, Diane Arbus and Herbert List illustrate the couple’s deep passion for the medium. The exhibition runs until 27 September 2026.
At the Cité de l’Économie, photographer Kourtney Roy turns a colourful and humorous lens on our contradictions around tourism. Her apparently cheerful images conceal a sometimes far starker reality, rendered in a deliciously retro style. All Inclusive invites visitors to reflect on the financial, economic and cultural excesses of travel, and is on view until 20 September 2026.
The Galerie Roger-Viollet, meanwhile, offers a selection of photographs that reveal Paris in a different light. The glow of apartment windows, shop fronts and clubs illuminates the capital in a thousand ways. This free exhibition runs until 3 October 2026.
- Camille Vivier at the MEP, until 13 September 2026, 5/7 rue de Fourcy, 4th arrondissement
- Lévitation by Mathieu Forget at the railings of the Tour Saint-Jacques, until 15 September 2026, free entry
- Fragile Beauty at the Jeu de Paume, until 27 September 2026, place de la Concorde, 1st arrondissement
- All Inclusive at the Cité de l’Économie, until 20 September 2026, place du Général Catroux, 17th arrondissement
- Paris, ouvert la nuit at the Galerie Roger-Viollet, until 3 October 2026, free entry
Robert Capa and the ages of life: photography confronts history
To mark the bicentenary of the invention of photography, the Musée de la Libération is dedicating an exhibition to Robert Capa, one of the greatest war photographers of the 20th century. From the Spanish Civil War to the Normandy landings and Indochina, his incisive gaze on conflict retains a rare power. The exhibition runs until 10 December 2026.
The Musée de l’Homme, meanwhile, blends art and science in a groundbreaking exhibition on the great ages of human life. Born from the encounter between biodemographer Samuel Pavard and photographer Nikos Aliagas, the show offers a profound meditation on our relationship with the passage of time. On view until 3 January 2027.
World Photography Day: a reason to see Paris differently
For World Photography Day, Paris 2026 offers a rare panorama, stretching from the banks of the Seine to the museums of the Trocadéro. Each exhibition approaches the medium from a different angle, and the breadth of what’s on show is a testament to photography’s enduring power to fascinate. Several exhibitions are also free to enter, making them accessible to everyone.
World Photography Day is an annual reminder that the still image carries a unique force. This Parisian season proves the point: whether it’s bodies in levitation, illuminated nights or intimate portraits, photography speaks to everyone. Summer 2026 is, as a result, the perfect opportunity to slow down and look at the world with fresh eyes.
Celebrating World Photography Day in Paris also means embracing the diversity of perspectives trained on the world around us. From Robert Capa’s war photographs to Kourtney Roy’s vivid colour work, each artist offers a singular reading of our times. Together, this selection of exhibitions forms a coherent and stimulating itinerary across the whole of the capital.
