Closing on 19 January, Minimal at Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, Paris, reframes Minimalism in modern and contemporary art. Curated by Jessica Morgan, the exhibition brings together more than 100 works by over 40 artists, positioning the movement not as a closed American chapter of the 1960s, but as a transnational set of works emerged simultaneously across different cultural contexts.

Canonical figures such as Agnes Martin, Dan Flavin and Robert Ryman (a stunning room opens the exhibition) are present, but the exhibition’s strength lies in its insistence on a broader geography. Artists associated with Japan’s Mono-ha movement, including Lee Ufan and Kishio Suga, are given significant space, alongside Latin American and European practitioners whose work complicates the familiar narrative of industrial materials and serial form. Lygia Pape’s poetic installation, ‘Weaving Space’ is another highlight. The result is a more plural understanding of Minimalism, rooted as much in perception, balance and material encounter as in formal reduction.

Rather than following a chronological structure, Minimal is organised around thematic groupings: Light, Surface, Grid, Monochrome, Materiality, that emphasise shared concerns over historical lineage. This approach encourages productive juxtapositions. This show will be one of the most important in the future of art history.

The architecture of Tadao Ando’s intervention at the Bourse de Commerce plays a decisive role. Works that rely on scale, weight and spatial tension, most notably Meg Webster’s installation in the rotunda, benefit from the building’s monumental proportions, while more fragile or perceptual works demand close, attentive viewing in quieter galleries. The opening rotunda is a tour de force presentation in a challenging space.

If the exhibition occasionally feels overextended, this density is also its ambition. Minimal resists nostalgia, presenting Minimalism not as a resolved style but as an ongoing inquiry into how works occupy space and how viewers encounter them. The selection of Dan Flavin works in the downstairs space is particularly vibrant!

In doing so, the Bourse de Commerce positions Minimalism less as an aesthetic of withdrawal than as a sustained, global exploration of presence. Make sure you catch this significant exhibition while you can, if you’re in Paris.

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