galleria continua inaugurates paris space with 'truc à faire' exhibition curated by JR

15 years after opening its exhibition venue les moulins in the parisian countryside, galleria continua has inaugurated a new exhibition space in france — this time in the heart of the french capital. the 800 square meter galleria continua paris spans two floors and occupies a former wholesale leather goods store, with a string of windows running around the corner between rue du temple and rue michel-le-comte. the unconventional venue encourages a use of space beyond the typical notions of a gallery — throughout the course of its construction, it will be a café, a store, and a room dedicated to meetings and talks. to kick off this new project, galleria continua presents ‘truc à faire’, a response to an incidental and inescapable call ‘one thing to do’, with an exhibition curated by JR.

exhibition view of ‘truc à faire’ at galleria continua, paris
all images courtesy of the artists and galleria continua | photos by sara de santis

‘the project comes from the idea of creating a welcoming space, a convivial place, that is flexible, inclusive, accessible to all and does not architecturally adhere to the canons of the white cube,’ explains mario cristiani, lorenzo fiaschi and maurizio rigillo — galleria continua’s founders. ‘a workshop of contemporary languages that brings together art, sociality and culture. an environment open to multiculturality where people with stories, resources and different interests can meet even just to read a magazine or to exchange thoughts, experiences and plans.’

exhibition view of ‘truc à faire’ at galleria continua, paris

JR’s curation of ‘truc à faire’ occupies the location in an unexpected way, infilling every nook and cranny, and spreading across the hundreds of shelves that inhabit its walls. JR intends not to modify the original structure, but instead reveal its history before the site undergoes another extraordinary metamorphosis: ‘a space where art works are sold, halfway between a cathedral and a supermarket, it’s a place where we get closer to infinity and where we can buy consumer objects,’ JR says. ‘for this new space, I wanted to bring together two universes, create a place that is lived by art, where we come to walk, where we encounter works by artists of many different generations, coming from 5 continents: from ai weiwei, to daniel buren, anish kapoor, michelangelo pistoletto and pascale marthine tayou, to name a few. I would like it to be a space for discussion, meetings, surprises, where we buy a book and when we open it, we discover it’s signed by the author, where we can have an italian coffee in a dynamic environment, where we immerse ourselves in the works that are present.’

(left) pascale marthine tayou, totem cristal, 2019 | crystal, mixed media, h192 x 42,5 x 40 cm
(right) pascale marthine tayou, totem cristal, 2019 | crystal, mixed media, h177 x 48,5 x 29 cm

shortly after the opening, in collaboration with MBL architectes, the space will be stripped back — by removing the internal structures, the bones of the building will be exposed, including the signs of its past. galleria continua paris will then be ready to host a second exhibition. subsequent renovations will proceed hand in hand with the activity of the gallery, marking an ever-changing continuum between art and life.

exhibition view of ‘truc à faire’ at galleria continua, paris

exhibition view of ‘truc à faire’ at galleria continua, paris

JR, to the point, 2021 | inkjet print on pasted paper, site specific dimensions

JR, to the point, 2021 | inkjet print on pasted paper, site specific dimensions

pascale marthine tayou, shanghai colonial, 2019 | wooden sculptures, variable dimensions

exhibition view of ‘truc à faire’ at galleria continua, paris

kader attia, independence disillusion, 2014 | oil on canvas 29.8 x 40 cm

exhibition view of ‘truc à faire’ at galleria continua, paris

exhibition view of ‘truc à faire’ at galleria continua, paris

exhibition view of ‘truc à faire’ at galleria continua, paris

leandro erlich, champignon collection de nuages, 2018
extra clear glass, ceramic ink digital printing, wooden vitrine, LED lights
vitrine: 199,5 x 175 x 81 cm; glass sheet: 110 x 140 cm (9 layers)

michelangelo pistoletto, messa a nudo – e, 2020
silkscreen on super mirror stainless steel 250 x 150 cm (98.42 x 59.05 in)

project info:

venue: galleria continua paris
location: 87 rue du temple, paris, france
exhibition: truc à faire
curation: JR
duration: january 21 – february 20, 2021 | tuesday – saturday 10am – 5pm | booking is recommended