The 26th France-Japan Multinational Contemporary Art Exhibition 2025 English｜EXPOSITIONS PRÉCÉDENTES / PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS

Over ten days from August 7 to August 17, the 26th annual exhibition welcomed artists and visitors to the National Art Center, Tokyo. Rooms 3A and 3B of the venue featured a total of 540 works, 440 pieces by 249 Japanese artists and 100 pieces by 96 international artists, primarily from France, the United States, the Netherlands, and China.
Held under the shared vision of “embracing all forms of art and growing together,” the exhibition once again delighted visitors with its diverse range of works and lively atmosphere.


26th France-Japan Multinational Contemporary Art Exhibition 2025
Session：From Thursday August 7 to Sunday August 17, 2025 *Closed: August 12
Location：The National Art Center, Tokyo / Galerie 3A・3B
Organizer：Japan International Artists Society
Collaborator：C.A.E.A（Club des Amis de l’Europe et des Arts）
Under the patronage：Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Under the patronage：Salon d'Automne
With the support ：
Co., Ltd. Dainihon-bijutsukogei
Co., Ltd. Kusakabe
Maruman Co., Ltd.
Co., Ltd. Seikatsunotomo-sha Bijutsu-no-mado

After movie

This year, Mr. Jean-Christophe LÉVÊQUE, President of Salon d’Automne, and Mr. GABO, Vice President of Salon d’Automne, visited Japan as representatives of the exhibition’s special sponsor. Before the opening, they joined staff members in preparing the displays, and during the 10-day exhibition they actively participated in related events, including the awards ceremony.

At the opening ceremony, distinguished guests attended from both France and Japan. From the Embassy of France, Ms. Frédérique PENILLA, Deputy Cultural Counsellor, offered a congratulatory address. From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ms. Kaori SHIOTSU, Deputy Director, First Europe Division, European Affairs Bureau, also shared some remarks.
Unfortunately, Mr. Jean-Marie ZACCHI, Honorary President and Advisor of the Exhibition of Contemporary Art France-Japan, was unable to travel to Japan this year. His message was read on his behalf by Ms. Carina SIMONI, an artist from his home region of Corsica.

On the exhibition's first day, the National Art Center's auditorium was the stage for an awards ceremony for last year's prize recipients.

Following the ceremony, a reception was held in the auditorium, where artists of different nationalities, generations, and genres interacted actively with one another. It was the first time in six years that such a full in-person celebration could be held since the COVID-19 pandemic, and participants warmly celebrated their reunion and the exhibition’s success.

On the second day, President LÉVÊQUE and Vice President GABO led the “Salon d’Automne Lecture,” sharing the history and unique character of the Salon d’Automne and presenting their own works through slides. The audience responded enthusiastically, asking many questions and expressing a strong desire to reflect the insights in their own creations.

True to its “non-genre, non-themed” approach, the exhibition once again presented a wide variety of works. Among them, the Espace privé or “private space” section, continues to evolve year by year, becoming one of the exhibition’s highlights. Some artists deepened their exploration within a particular style or technique, while others expanded their creative range by combining two- and three-dimensional forms or using entire walls to build bold, large-scale compositions.

The “œuvres longues” section, featuring works reaching up to four meters in height, also drew much attention. President LÉVÊQUE noted that exhibitions offering space for such large-scale works are rare, and that this opportunity would no doubt inspire artists’ creativity.

During the exhibition, many artists engaged directly with visitors, explaining their works to those who stopped to look and actively interacting with other artists and guests. Visitors commented that hearing directly from the artists made the experience especially interesting. Although no special exhibitions were held at the National Art Center during this period, attendance for this event exceeded 13,000 visitors, far surpassing previous years. According to staff at the museum, the sharp increase in inbound tourism in recent years also contributed significantly to this record number.

Once again this year, a donation box was placed at the entrance to support the “Project to buy art supplies for children who love painting in Rikuzentakata.” This initiative supports the city of Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture, which was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Donations collected at the venue, together with contributions received from outside, totaled 45,400 yen. The funds were used to purchase 500 sketchbooks, which were donated to local childcare centers in Rikuzentakata through the city’s Association of Childcare Centers.