Winter expositions at the Grand Palais

An overview of the winter exhibitions at the Grand Palais - all are worthy of a visit. For general information regarding the Grand Palais, refer to my Grand Palais guide.

1.  Hokusai - One of my favourite artists, and with a huge and varied collection on display, this exposition certainly delivers. It follows a chronological order, generally broken up according to the different aliases that Hokusai used throughout his life. It includes some of his famous Thirty-six views of Mt Fuji series, and my personal favourite, painting instruction manuals created during his Taitō period.

••  Runs 1 Oct 2014 - 20 Nov 2014 & 1 Dec 2014 - 18 Jan 2015 (Clemenceau entrance)

Current exhibitions at the Grand Palais - review

Monumenta 2014

These are my picks for the current exhibitions at the Grand Palais. There are others, and more coming soon, so you can check the official website for more options. And you can check out my post on the Grand Palais for for general info on the site.

1.  Monumenta 2014 - this is an exhibition that is held every year where a different artist is invited to do their thing in the vast main hall of the Grand Palais. This year it's a Russian duo - Ilya & Emilia Kabakov: The Strange City.

The artists have attempted to transform the Grand Palais into a fantasy world, like something out of a comic book. As you move through each room, you learn something new about the fantasy world, and slowly immerse yourself into the "strange city". The layout is like a labyrinth, which lends itself to disorientating the viewer, and is very effective at pushing the viewer to become even further immersed in the fantasy world.

Le Grand Palais - a newbie's guide

Another must see landmark in Paris - The Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées. Originally built for the 1900 World Exposition, the building now houses a variety of exhibitions and events.

Accessing the building can be a little tricky, as there are several entry points. Each entry leads to different isolated sections of the building, as summarised below:

••  The main hall under the glass vault - this is the architectural highlight of the building. It houses the large temporary exhibitions and events. Entry is only possible during exhibitions and events, so it's worth checking the website for current and upcoming events if you want to go inside. Annual events include the Art Paris Art Fair, a car show, a horse show jumping event, and the Monumenta exhibition. If nothing is showing, you can get a small glimpse through the doors at the main entrance (facing Av Winston Churchill).