Curieuse nocturne impressionniste: a festive, artistic evening at the Musée d'Orsay

Get out the candles, the Musée d'Orsay is celebrating a very special anniversary! To mark the 150th anniversary of Impressionism, and in parallel with the dedicated exhibition, the museum is organizing a Curieuse nocturne on May 16, 2024.

The Musée d'Orsay holds the world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. Naturally, the Parisian cultural institution couldn't miss the anniversary of this artistic movement: in 2024, we celebrate 150 years ofImpressionism. To mark the occasion, a major exhibition has been organized at the museum.

Paris 1874, inventing Impressionism: our photos from the Musée d'Orsay's major exhibition
In 1874, the first Impressionist exhibition was held in Paris. The Musée d'Orsay looks back at this innovative art and its great masters, in a new exhibition on view from March 26 to July 14, 2024. We went along for the ride... [Read more]

But a simple exhibition isn't enough for a birthday party. A real party is called for! The museum is organizing a Curieuse nocturne on Thursday, May 16, 2024, starting at 6:30pm.

For one evening, the Musée d'Orsay transforms itself into a performance space, hosting immersive artistic performances and musical moments, hosted by a variety of contemporary artists. The young creators draw inspiration from the artists exhibited in the museum's collections, creating an intergenerational dialogue that offers a fresh look at masterpieces we thought we knew by heart.

This Thursday evening, the Nave of the Musée d'Orsay welcomes a number of groups and artists. The mood will be set by the Ensemble /K/inêtikos dance and performance art troupe, but that's not all! A variety of artists have been invited for this exceptional cultural evening, giving us the opportunity to enjoy this not-to-be-missed institution in a different way.

Detailed program of the evening:

Exhibition by students from the École Émile Cohl
6:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Salle des Fêtes level 2
Mapping, matte painting, oil and pastel paintings, caricatures, landscape engravings: students from the École Émile Cohl celebrate Impressionism in the Salle des Fêtes. They will also be putting on a drawing performance combining various techniques.
Performance "BEFORE"
7:00 pm - 7:10 pm
Museum Nave
A dance creation produced as part of the Paris Opera's DMEO (Dix Mois d'École et d'Opéra) program. For a few minutes, students from the Lycée Professionnel Jacques Monod (Paris 2e) take over the nave of the Musée d'Orsay, charging it with their bodies in motion.
DJ set
7.00-10.30pm
Café Campana
Between techno, trance and hyperpop, DJ Mila Dietrich passionately defends the abolition of boundaries between genres. Program in partnership with Les Guinguettes Rosa Bonheur.
Rencontre inspirante
19h30-20h30
Auditorium level - 2
"Profession: creator of art history content" with Christopher Michaut / Mr. Bacchus and Sarah Belmont from Parisien magazine Beaux & Arts Cie.
Excerpt from the show Réciprocals, abstract paintings in motion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pm and 9:20 pm - 9:50 pm
Nave of the museum
Réciprocals is a performative and immersive work created by the ensemble /K/inêtikos in collaboration with visual artist Bernard Bousquet, where improvisation is the driving force behind the performance, provoking wild and free impromptu moments, sometimes grotesque, sometimes sublime. It's a journey through sensations, colors, qualities and improbable body dynamics.