They say it’s the biggest retrospective of Robert Mapplethorpe‘s work every shown in a museum, and the first ever in France. Not sure whether that’s true or now, but you should be able to see over 250 of his photos, collages and drawings, and there are a few interesting annex events organised, such as talks with Edmund White and Patti Smith, and a web-documentary with an interactive map, short films showing places that Mapplethorpe frequented, and interviews with people that knew him (including his brother / assistant).

Here’s all the info.

Before dying of AIDS-related illness in 1989, aged 42, Robert Mapplethorpe spent 20 years perfecting a style of photography that still impresses today.

His treatment of black and white, often coupled with highly-charged sexual content (indeed, one of the exhibition rooms is barred to under-18s) made him an icon of transgression, while he simultaneously raised photography to a level of artform formerly unrecognised.
Additional events include a cycle of films, the publication of an official catalogue (288 pages, 275 illustrations, 35€ here at amazon.fr), a talk with Patti Smith at 6.30pm 18th March, an another with Edmund White Wednesday 18th June at 6.30pm also.

You might also like to know that there’s a second Mapplethorpe exhibition in Paris at the Rodin Museum from 8th April – 21st September 2014. A joint ticket is available for 16 euros. More info here.

The Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition is at the Grand Palais (here) from 26th March – 13th July 2014

Open from 10am – 8pm Sundays and Mondays. Open 10am – 10pm Wednesdays to Saturday. Closed Tuesdays. Closed 1st May

Admission: 13€ / 9€

Free entrance Saturday 17th May from 8pm to midnight for Museum Night

Official site: here

A leaflet (in French) about the exhibition can be consulted here (PDF)

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