As part of Art Basel Paris, the Quai d'Orsay is opening its doors for a special…

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is hosting the exhibition "PASSAGES - Pas sages", co-produced by artist-designers Thierry Lemaire and Harry Nuriev.

Laid out in the historic rooms of the Quai d'Orsay, this unprecedented exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Manufactures Nationales - Sèvres & Mobilier national, the Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap) and the Institut français.

As part of Art Basel Paris, the event, which is open to the public free-of-charge upon reservation, offers a tour bringing together historical and contemporary works of art, design, arts and crafts, heritage objects and diplomatic archives. Among other things, the exhibition will give the public access to the heritage of the Hôtel du Ministre, a building characteristic of the late 19^th century.

Under the curatorship of Krystyna Winckler, the exhibition "PASSAGES - Pas sages" brings together works of art, objects, and stories that bear witness to the bonds forged between cultures over time. It illustrates how art fosters international exchange and contributes to a better mutual understanding of societies.

A space for freedom and creation, a vehicle for expressing our values and a means of dialogue, culture in all its forms is an essential pillar of France's external action. This exhibition is therefore part of the strategy of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for Culture to promote the visual arts and, in particular, features works by artists who have been selected for several of the 80 artist-in-residence programmes offered by the French diplomatic network around the world.

The exhibition is also included in the calendar of major diplomatic events in 2026, among which are the 250^th anniversary of US independence, the 140^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and South Korea, the France-Mexico celebrations and the Mediterranean Season.

"Passages are works that break the rules: they move from one salon to another, from one shore to another, from master to young creative. By bringing together here established artists and the emerging scene, we are demonstrating that cultural heritage is alive only when it is passed on. Here, we are allowing creativity to engage in a dialogue with two centuries of history, offering the public a unique encounter between art and diplomacy." Krystyna Winckler, exhibition curator.