Hoda Afshar is an artist born in Tehran in 1983 and now based in Australia. Her work explores the image as a social and political tool, blending photography, video, and installation art.

Exhibition "Hoda Afshar. Performing the Invisible" Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac from Sept. 30, 2025 to Jan. 25, 2026

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Immerse yourself in the visual world of Hoda Afshar, an Iranian-Australian artist who questions the power of images. Through photographs, installations, and videos, the exhibition Performing the Invisible reveals beliefs, memories, and resistance. A unique event at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, from September 30, 2025, to January 25, 2026.

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€14

Exhibition

Combined Ticket (Plateau + Garden Gallery)

The combined ticket allows you to visit all areas of the museum.
Collections Plateau
Galerie Jardin: discover the Picasso Primitif exhibition (for more information, see the practical details at the bottom of the page)

The first monographic exhibition in France dedicated to Hoda Afshar, the Iranian-Australian photographer and visual artist.
A reflection on the power of images: between belief, memory, and resistance.
Photographs, videos, drawings, mirrors, and sound installations offer a multisensory immersion.
Two major works on display: The Fold (a critical re-reading of colonial archives) and Speak the Wind (rituals linked to the winds in Iran).
An immersive scenography created by Studio Je Formule, in dialogue with the artist and the Milani Gallery.
A journey between the visible and the invisible, revealing what is hidden, erased, or reinterpreted.
A prestigious venue: the Galerie Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, at the heart of the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac.
Thursday late openings until 10 p.m., for a unique evening experience of the exhibition.
Enhanced accessibility: features adapted for visitors with physical, hearing, visual, or cognitive disabilities.
A special talk with the artist and curator Annabelle Lacour on October 1st, 2025.
A major cultural event of the Paris season, at the crossroads of contemporary art and historical memory.

Valid for 2 years and undated – Skip-the-line tickets

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What to expect

The Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac opens its doors to an artist who has become one of the most striking voices in the contemporary scene: Hoda Afshar. Born in Tehran in 1983 and now based in Australia, this photographer and visual artist develops work in which the image becomes a tool for reflection on power, identity, and memory. Her exhibition Performing the Invisible, shown for the first time in France, is a major event in the Parisian cultural season.

Reserving a ticket for this exhibition is your opportunity to discover a singular body of work that makes colonial history, popular beliefs, and contemporary issues speak to one another.

An indispensable artist revealed in France

A critical look at the power of images

The exhibition questions photography and its role in constructing representations. Images have always shaped how individuals and cultures are perceived. Hoda Afshar chooses to revisit inherited images from the past, to reveal their biases, but also to give them new life in a new form.

Through her works, she illuminates the tensions between what is visible and what is deliberately hidden, between what is told and what is erased. The visitor is invited to enter a world where art exceeds aesthetics to become an act of resistance and reinterpretation of the world.

Major works presented

Two major installations structure the exhibition’s path:

The Fold — a striking reinterpretation of photographs made by the doctor‑psychiatrist Gaëtan de Clérambault in Morocco between 1918 and 1919. Produced in a colonial context, these images are here rethought and subverted, allowing their full ambiguity to be revealed and denouncing the power relations they carry.
Speak the Wind — a visual essay dedicated to beliefs connected with winds in the islands of the Strait of Hormuz, south of Iran. The artist seeks to restore little‑known ritual practices, where the invisible and the spiritual hold a central place.

Photographs, drawings, videos, mirrors and sound installations combine to offer an immersive and sensitive journey.

A scenography conceived as an experience

The spatial design was developed by Studio Je Formule, in collaboration with the artist herself and the Milani Gallery of Brisbane. The result is a fluid path where each gallery becomes a visual and auditory experience. Contrasts between silence and sound, darkness and light, create an atmosphere conducive to contemplation and reflection.

This scenographic approach turns the visit into a true inner journey, where each person can find their own resonance with the themes addressed.

An emblematic space in the heart of Paris

The exhibition takes place in the Galerie Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. Located just a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower, the museum is one of the capital’s most remarkable cultural spaces, known for its collections and exhibits that celebrate the diversity of world cultures.

Choosing to attend this exhibition also means enjoying a unique place that offers privileged views over Paris and a rich program always anchored in current artistic and societal issues.

Practical information: dates and hours

Dates: from 30 September 2025 to 25 January 2026.
Hours:
- Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM.
- Late opening on Thursdays until 10:00 PM.
- Closed Mondays.

These wide hours allow everyone to find an ideal time to see the exhibition, whether during the day or in the evening.

Pricing and ticket reservations

Full price: €14
Reduced price: €11 (according to eligibility)

Booking online is strongly encouraged to avoid queues and guarantee access at your desired date. Given the interest raised by this first French solo exhibition, certain periods are likely to sell out. Reserving early is therefore a wise choice to not miss anything.

An exhibition accessible to all

The Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac makes a point of making its exhibitions accessible to as many people as possible. Performing the Invisible is adapted for visitors with motor, auditory, visual, or cognitive disabilities. Specific devices and guided tours in French Sign Language (LSF) are offered to guarantee an inclusive experience.

This commitment to openness confirms the exhibition’s universal dimension, designed to reach all sensitivities.

A unique appointment with the artist

Beyond the exhibition, a special event will be held: a meeting with Hoda Afshar and Annabelle Lacour, the exhibition’s curator. This encounter, scheduled for 1 October 2025 in the Jacques Kerchache Reading Room, will offer a rare opportunity to exchange directly with the artist about her inspirations and creative process.

Why reserve now?

Attending Performing the Invisible is much more than a simple visit: it is a moment of reflection on the power of images, the memory of peoples, and how art can reveal the invisible. This exhibition, the first of its kind in France, promises to be a key moment of the Parisian cultural season.

Reserving your tickets today ensures your place at a unique artistic event, in an emblematic museum in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Conclusion

With Hoda Afshar. Performing the Invisible, the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac offers an immersive and intellectual experience that will leave no visitor indifferent. The exhibition weaves together history, contemporary art, and critical reflection, while opening up new perspectives on what images can say—or suppress.

Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to discover an international artist who transforms the photographic act into a political and poetic gesture. Get your tickets now and dive into a world where the invisible finally takes form.

Dive together into the world of Hoda Afshar

Are you organizing an event for a group of more than 10 people?

Experience a unique cultural journey at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac with Performing the Invisible. Book as a group to enjoy a captivating path mixing art, memory, and rituals. Offer your participants an inspiring and enriching outing.

Feel free to contact us at +33 1 48 74 05 10 for any requests.

Common questions

Who is Hoda Afshar?

Hoda Afshar is an artist born in Tehran in 1983 and now based in Australia. Her work explores the image as a social and political tool, blending photography, video, and installation art.

What is the main theme of the exhibition?

The exhibition questions the role of photography and the gaze in power relations, while also highlighting memory, rituals, and invisible beliefs.

Where is the exhibition taking place?

It is held at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, in the Galerie Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, in the heart of Paris.

What can visitors see in the exhibition?

Visitors will discover photographic series, sound installations, videos, and immersive displays, including never-before-seen works.

What are the major works featured?

Two highlight pieces: The Fold, which reinterprets colonial photographs of Morocco, and Speak the Wind, a visual essay on rituals related to the wind in southern Iran.

Who is the curator of the exhibition?

The exhibition is curated by Annabelle Lacour, a specialist in the photographic collections of the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac.

Is the exhibition design original?

Yes, it was created by Studio Je Formule in collaboration with Hoda Afshar and the Milani Gallery, offering an immersive and contemporary experience.

Is the exhibition accessible to people with disabilities?

Yes, the exhibition includes adapted features for visitors with physical, visual, auditory, or cognitive disabilities, including tours in French Sign Language (LSF).

Is the exhibition suitable for families and children?

Yes, the exhibition is open to all audiences. The visual materials and installations are likely to spark the curiosity of younger visitors.

Why shouldn’t you miss this exhibition?

Because it is the first monographic exhibition dedicated to Hoda Afshar in France, offering a unique perspective on the power of images, between personal memory and collective history.