Leaving the crowds behind

If your only free days are weekends and you start hyperventilating in crowded places, then I suggest staying well away from any large institutions of culture in Paris. Instead, if you’re looking to experience something arty and cultural, you have three options: staying in and making your own art, leaving the city for the weekend to discover la culture Provençale, or possibly exploring some lesser-known museums in the city.

Although those first two options are perfectly legitimate, here I shall help you to explore the third by highlighting some very worthwhile spots which don’t tend to draw such large Parisian weekend crowds.

 

Halle Saint-Pierre – Outsider Art

This unassuming building barely 2 steps away from the hill of Montmartre looks like it might harbour an indoor market or perhaps a school; and indeed it used to be both of those things before it got turned into an exhibition space for Art Brut et Art Singulier, (primitive and singular art, also widely known as Outsider Art). Established in 1986 by publisher Max Fourny, it shows exhibitions of naïve, folk and outsider art from all over the world, has a lovely little library worth browsing, and also hosts concerts, conferences and literary events. Amid the bustling streets of Montmartre, this little gem is often a quiet(ish) getaway, transporting you into a space of otherworldly art.

 

Musée Cernuschi – Asian Art

Near the lovely Parc Monceau, in a residential area in the north of the city, you may come across the Musée Cernuschi, the 19^th century neoclassical home of the Italian founder and collector Henri Cernuschi. Inaugurated in 1898, it is one of the oldest museums in the city, and the second largest Asian art museum in France. Inside, the space is bigger than you might imagine, with around 900 Asian art objects on display. You can explore this free permanent collection in chronological order, browsing the displays which centre on a period starting from the Neolithic through to the 13^th century. Alternatively, you can combine this with a visit to whatever beautiful temporary exhibition happens to be on.

 

Musée Dapper – African Art

Hidden away a few streets from the Arc de Triomphe, this place strikes a contrast with its bourgeois surroundings. It’s a little 2-storey museum dedicated to African art, which shows themed exhibitions often bringing together century-old artefacts and contemporary creations. If it’s an area you feel unfamiliar with, the museum offers individual and group tours, and there is a bookshop and auditorium where you can see plays, performances and children’s shows. The topics are often fascinating and the curation is excellent, yet this is a little-known place where on busy Paris weekends you are likely to only hear the sound of your own footsteps echoing in the galleries.

 

Institut du Monde Arabe – Islamic Art

The Louvre recently re-opened its Islamic Art collections, but until then, the best place in Paris to go and indulge in Islamic art was the Institut du Monde Arabe, and if you prefer to avoid queues and crowds, it still is. Housed in Jean Nouvel’s remarkable building overlooking the Seine which is now also home to a semi-permanent exhibition structure by Zaha Hadid in the courtyard, the place is worth visiting just for the architecture and the views. Inside, the Musée des civilizations is a historical journey through Islamic culture, whilst the contemporary art collection and temporary exhibitions (which draw the most visitors) focus on 20^th century offerings from the Arab world.

 

Musée de la Chasse – Art and Nature

An alternative to the child-filled Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, to give it its full title, was conceived to remind visitors of the relationship between man and animal since antiquity, with a focus, as the name suggests, on hunting. Opened in 1967 and recently renovated, the museum is housed in a stately home in the heart of the Marais district. From ceramic objects, prints and coats of arms, to sculpture and painting, the museum displays only some of the three-thousand hunting-themed objects in the original collection alongside contemporary installation pieces. You may find it bizarre, you may find it eclectic, but I guarantee you won’t find it dull.

 

Maison Européenne de la Photo – Photography

Perhaps one of the best places in the city to see top-class photography exhibitions is the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. There are multiple floors, each often dedicated to multiple artists, or sometimes hosting one or two larger retrospectives. Don’t forget to go downstairs into the old cellars-come-exhibition spaces, take a break in the little cafe and explore the nooks and crannies of this beautiful building. There is usually a good variety of photography styles and periods on offer, so you’re likely to see something you like and perhaps discover a new and intriguing artist.

 

Marais Galleries – Contemporary Art

Finally, if you’re in the Marais district, consider skipping the tourist-hub of the Pompidou Centre, known to Parisians as Beaubourg, and go a-wander through those wriggling medieval street in search of some fresh contemporary art. There is lots to see, especially in the area near and around the Place des Vosges to the East. Don’t be afraid to walk into these small, intimate spaces and engage in conversation with the art and the gallerist. These galleries may be quieter and more intense than a museum, but they also offer a more personal and face-on experience with contemporary creations which can be surprising, terrible, inspiring, or all three at the same time. You never know what you’ll get, but at least it’s sure to be free. Bear in mind though, many of these smaller spaces will be closed on Sundays so plan accordingly.

 

So there you have it, those are my suggestions. Paris is a big, cultural, art-loving kind of place so I’m sure there are many more spaces I haven’t thought of. I’d love you hear your opinions if you know of some good crowdless weekend haunt!