4 new museums and galleries in France to get excited about in 2020

Art and history lovers have lots to look forward to this year

Trip the light fantastic in Bordeaux

If you’ve been lucky enough to catch an exhibition at Paris’ Atelier des Lumières digital art gallery, you won’t want to miss the Bassins de Lumières in Bordeaux. The former submarine base, spanning a whopping 11,000 square metres, will immerse visitors in both classic and contemporary art projected onto walls and reflected in the enormous submarine basins.

Opening: April

Art and history in the Loire Valley

The Loire Valley, already brimming with history and culture, will welcome another museum to its esteemed ranks as a new modern art museum opens at Fontevraud Abbey. The former stables, the Fannerie, will host the extensive private collection of Martine and Léon Clignan, featuring works by Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec and Rodin.

Opening: May/June

Contemporary art extravaganza in the heart of Paris

Billionaire businessman and art collector François Pinault is opening his third museum – his first in Paris, as the other two are in Venice – this year and so far is tight-lipped as to whom the subject of the first exhibition will be. The Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection will take over the beautiful, glass domed building in the 1st arrondissement and has been renovated by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

Opening: June

Roman holiday in Narbonne

Established by the Romans in 118 BC, Narbonne sprung up on the first Roman road in Gaul, Via Domitia. Millennia later, its vibrant history from the end of the Iron Age until the Early Middle Ages is being feted with the opening of a new museum adjacent to the Canal de la Robine, Narbo Via. Discover historic settings in a classy setting designed by renowned architecture firm Foster + Partners.

Opening: Autumn

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