Galerie Mennour

Galerie Mennour, also known as Galerie Kamel Mennour, is a Paris-based contemporary art gallery founded and directed by Kamel Mennour. It began in 1999 with a 50-square-metre space on Rue Mazarine and initially concentrated on contemporary photography. Its early exhibitions introduced French audiences to internationally recognized but then comparatively underexposed photographers, including Larry Clark, Stephen Shore and Nobuyoshi Araki, while also presenting historical figures such as Pierre Molinier. From the beginning, the gallery combined exhibitions with publishing, producing catalogues and artist monographs through its publishing activity, éditions kamel mennour. The gallery established an international profile through participation in major art fairs. It appeared at Paris Photo in 1999, the Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain in 2000 and Art Basel in 2003, later developing a regular presence at leading fairs including Art Basel, FIAC and Art Basel Miami Beach. In 2003, its program broadened beyond photography to include younger contemporary artists and established artists working across painting, sculpture, installation, conceptual art, video and other media. Artists associated with this expanded program have included Daniel Buren, Claude Lévêque, François Morellet and Martin Parr, alongside later generations such as Mohamed Bourouissa, Camille Henrot, Latifa Echakhch, Dario Escobar and Alicja Kwade. A major spatial expansion came in September 2007, when the gallery moved its principal exhibition activity into a 400-square-metre space in the seventeenth-century Hôtel particulier de Vieuville at 47 Rue Saint-André-des-Arts. The renovation was designed by Aldric Beckmann and Françoise N'Thépé, and the opening exhibition was a solo presentation by Daniel Buren. The original Rue Mazarine location continued to be used for specific projects. In 2013, Mennour added a second Paris exhibition venue at 6 Rue du Pont de Lodi. Its large glass-roofed setting enabled the presentation of monumental works and opened with an exhibition by Arte Povera artist Pier Paolo Calzolari. Mennour's program has combined solo exhibitions with historical dialogues, thematic group shows and collaborations with museums, biennials and other cultural institutions. Examples include a 2010 dialogue between Daniel Buren and Alberto Giacometti, a 2011 presentation linking François Morellet and Kazimir Malevich, and thematic exhibitions examining light and the relationship between images and ideas. The gallery has also supported major off-site projects, including Huang Yong Ping's Arche at the Chapelle des Beaux-Arts de Paris, Anish Kapoor's 2011 Monumenta installation and Daniel Buren's 2012 Monumenta project at the Grand Palais. It has represented or supported artists participating in national pavilions and international exhibitions, including Claude Lévêque at the 2009 Venice Biennale, Sigalit Landau at the 2011 Israeli Pavilion and Camille Henrot's video work Grosse Fatigue, which received the Silver Lion for a promising young artist at the 2013 Venice Biennale. The gallery also manages selected artist estates, including those of Pinchas Burstein, Yona Friedman, François Morellet, Gina Pane and Huang Yong Ping. In 2023 it launched the Mennour Institute, an initiative focused on research and education in modern and contemporary art through doctoral fellowships, educational programs and philanthropy. In 2026, according to the referenced material, Mennour acquired Galerie Malingue and assumed control of its approximately 4,300-square-foot showroom at 26 Avenue Matignon in Paris's Matignon district. Overall, Galerie Mennour operates as a commercial gallery, publisher, institutional collaborator and research-oriented cultural platform, with a program spanning photography, postwar and modern art, and contemporary practices.

Galerie Mennour was founded by Kamel Mennour in Paris in 1999. Its first venue, a 50-square-metre gallery on Rue Mazarine, was devoted primarily to contemporary photography. The early program presented internationally known photographers who were not yet widely represented in France, including Larry Clark, Stephen Shore and Nobuyoshi Araki, as well as more established or historically significant artists such as Pierre Molinier. Exhibition-making was accompanied by catalogue production, a publishing activity that later developed into éditions kamel mennour and produced more than forty catalogues according to the referenced account. The gallery began building its international commercial network almost immediately. It participated in Paris Photo in 1999, the Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain in 2000 and Art Basel in 2003. It subsequently appeared at major international fairs, including Art Basel, FIAC and Art Basel Miami Beach. In 2003, Mennour broadened its program from a photography-led focus to a wider contemporary art platform. The new program included artists working in multiple media and combined younger practitioners with established figures such as Daniel Buren, Claude Lévêque, François Morellet and Martin Parr. In September 2007, the gallery expanded into a 400-square-metre space in the Hôtel particulier de Vieuville at 47 Rue Saint-André-des-Arts. The space was designed by Aldric Beckmann and Françoise N'Thépé and opened with a Daniel Buren solo exhibition. The Rue Mazarine venue remained available for focused or site-specific projects. Over the following years, the program included emerging artists such as Mohamed Bourouissa, Camille Henrot, Latifa Echakhch, Dario Escobar and Alicja Kwade, together with established and historically important artists including Huang Yong Ping, Anish Kapoor, Tadashi Kawamata, Lee Ufan, Gina Pane and Martial Raysse. Mennour developed a curatorial identity that extended beyond conventional solo exhibitions. It organized historical dialogues, including a 2010 pairing of Daniel Buren with Alberto Giacometti and a 2011 pairing of François Morellet with Kazimir Malevich. The gallery also mounted thematic exhibitions, including Lux Perpetua in 2012, which addressed artistic approaches to light, and L'image pensée in 2013, a project curated by Donatien Grau concerning the use of slide projections by contemporary artists. Institutional collaboration became another important part of the gallery's activity. Off-site projects included Huang Yong Ping's Arche at the Chapelle des Beaux-Arts de Paris in 2009, Anish Kapoor's 2011 Monumenta presentation and Daniel Buren's 2012 Monumenta presentation at the Grand Palais. The gallery was also involved in projects connected with the Venice Biennale, including Claude Lévêque's presentation for the French Pavilion in 2009, Sigalit Landau's contribution to the Israeli Pavilion in 2011 and Camille Henrot's Grosse Fatigue in 2013. Henrot's work received the Silver Lion for a promising young artist. In 2013, Mennour doubled its exhibition capacity by opening a second space at 6 Rue du Pont de Lodi. Its large glass roof allowed the gallery to show monumental works, and the inaugural exhibition featured Arte Povera artist Pier Paolo Calzolari. Alongside its exhibition and fair activities, the gallery continued to publish substantial bilingual or multilingual catalogues and monographs devoted to artists such as Daido Moriyama, Latifa Echakhch, Alfredo Jaar, Zineb Sedira, Sigalit Landau, Huang Yong Ping, Yona Friedman, Tadashi Kawamata and Pierre Molinier. The gallery also manages selected estates, including those of Pinchas Burstein, Yona Friedman, François Morellet, Gina Pane and Huang Yong Ping. In 2023, it launched the Mennour Institute, expanding its activities into doctoral support, education, research and philanthropy. The referenced material further reports a 2026 acquisition of Galerie Malingue and the takeover of its showroom at 26 Avenue Matignon. These developments position Mennour not only as a Paris commercial gallery but also as a publisher, institutional partner, estate manager and research-oriented art organization.

• 2026

  Galerie Malingue acquisition reported

  [1]Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org

  The referenced material reports that Mennour acquired Galerie Malingue and its Avenue Matignon showroom.

• 2023

  Mennour Institute established

  [1]Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org

  The gallery launched an institute supporting art research, doctoral fellowships, education and philanthropy.

• 2013

  Second Paris space opens

  [1]Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org

  The gallery opened a second venue at 6 Rue du Pont de Lodi, enabling larger-scale installations.

• 2007

  Move to the Hôtel particulier de Vieuville

  [1]Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org

  A new 400-square-metre principal venue opened at 47 Rue Saint-André-des-Arts with a Daniel Buren solo exhibition.

• 2003

  Program expands beyond photography

  [1]Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org

  The gallery diversified into broader contemporary art, representing younger artists and established practitioners across several media.

• 2003

  First participation in Art Basel

  [1]Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org

  Mennour entered the Art Basel fair circuit, strengthening its international profile.

• 2000

  Participation in FIAC

  [1]Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org

  Mennour exhibited at the Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain in Paris.

• 1999

  First Rue Mazarine gallery opens

  [1]Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org

  Kamel Mennour inaugurated the gallery's first 50-square-metre Paris space, initially focusing on contemporary photography.

• 1999

  First participation in Paris Photo

  [1]Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org

  The gallery began its international art-fair activity by exhibiting at Paris Photo.

A high-profile Paris contemporary art gallery combining emerging and established artists, international fair participation, scholarly publishing, artist-estate management and institutional-scale projects.

• Exhibition program · 1999

  Gallery exhibitions

  Galerie Mennour presents solo, group, thematic and historically dialogic exhibitions in its Paris spaces. The program spans photography, painting, sculpture, installation, video and conceptual practices, pairing emerging artists with established and historically significant figures.

• Art publishing

  Kamel Mennour Editions

  The gallery publishes exhibition catalogues, artist monographs and scholarly books through éditions kamel mennour. Its publishing list has covered artists including Daido Moriyama, Latifa Echakhch, Alfredo Jaar, Zineb Sedira, Sigalit Landau, Huang Yong Ping, Yona Friedman, Tadashi Kawamata and Pierre Molinier.

• Art administration

  Artist-estate management

  Mennour manages selected artist estates in addition to representing living artists. The referenced list includes the estates of Pinchas Burstein, Yona Friedman, François Morellet, Gina Pane and Huang Yong Ping.

• Research and education · 2023

  Mennour Institute

  Created in 2023, the Mennour Institute supports research and education in modern and contemporary art through doctoral fellowships, educational programming and philanthropic activity.

• 2013Camille Henrot and Grosse Fatigue

  France · International biennial audience

  The gallery supported Camille Henrot's video work Grosse Fatigue in connection with her international exhibition activity.

  Outcome. The work received the Silver Lion for a promising young artist at the 2013 Venice Biennale.

  Source
• 2012Daniel Buren at Monumenta

  France · International art audience

  Mennour collaborated on Daniel Buren's Monumenta project at the Grand Palais.

  Outcome. The presentation reinforced the gallery's engagement with monumental public art and major cultural institutions.

  Source
• 2011Anish Kapoor at Monumenta

  France · International art audience

  Mennour collaborated around Anish Kapoor's Monumenta presentation at the Grand Palais in Paris.

  Outcome. The project increased the gallery's visibility through a major public institutional presentation.

  Source
• 2009Arche by Huang Yong Ping

  France

  The gallery collaborated on Huang Yong Ping's Arche project at the Chapelle des Beaux-Arts de Paris, extending Mennour's program into an institutional off-site setting.

  Outcome. The project demonstrated the gallery's role in producing large-scale collaborations beyond its commercial spaces.

  Source

• 2026

  Acquire Galerie MalingueM&A

  Background

  The referenced material describes an expansion of Mennour's Paris footprint through the purchase of another gallery.

  Action taken

  Mennour purchased Galerie Malingue and took over its showroom at 26 Avenue Matignon.

  Aftermath

  The reported transaction expanded Mennour's presence in Paris's Matignon district.

  Source

• 2023

  Launch the Mennour InstituteStrategy

  Background

  The gallery expanded its cultural role beyond commercial representation and publishing.

  Action taken

  Mennour created an institute focused on doctoral fellowships, education, research and philanthropy in modern and contemporary art.

  Aftermath

  The initiative added an educational and research dimension to the gallery's operating model.

  Source

• 2013

  Open a second Paris galleryStrategy

  Background

  Mennour sought to increase exhibition capacity and accommodate monumental works.

  Action taken

  The gallery opened a second space at 6 Rue du Pont de Lodi under a large glass roof.

  Aftermath

  The additional venue broadened the scale and flexibility of the exhibition program, beginning with a Pier Paolo Calzolari presentation.

  Source

• 2007

  Expand into a larger principal exhibition spaceStrategy

  Background

  The gallery required additional space as its program and institutional ambitions grew.

  Action taken

  Mennour opened a 400-square-metre venue in the Hôtel particulier de Vieuville at 47 Rue Saint-André-des-Arts while retaining the Rue Mazarine space for specific projects.

  Aftermath

  The new venue enabled larger solo exhibitions and strengthened the gallery's central Paris presence.

  Source

• 2003

  Broaden the gallery program beyond photographyStrategy

  Background

  After several years centered on contemporary photography, Mennour sought to develop a wider contemporary art program.

  Action taken

  The gallery began promoting young contemporary artists and established artists working in different media.

  Aftermath

  The expanded program became a foundation for the gallery's later representation of artists across installation, sculpture, painting, video and conceptual art.

  Source

1. 1Galerie Kamel Mennouren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Galerie Mennour official websitekamelmennour.com