Visitors lie down on the facade of a building reproduced flat on the ground, while a huge mirror tilted above them creates the illusion that they are suspended from balconies and windows. This installation is one of the highlights of the new exhibition dedicated to Leandro Erlich, which is being held at the Grand Palais.
After stops in Tokyo, Miami, and Milan, where it attracted several million visitors, this exhibition is being presented for the first time in France. The artist presents a journey comprising 14 monumental installations designed to play with perspectives and disorient the public. The works transform everyday architectural elements into true trompe-l’œil experiences.
Among the works on display, the public interacts with settings that defy logic. A ladder resting on the floor leads to a brick-framed window that appears to float in mid-air. Further on, an elevator cabin creates the effect of a bottomless pit through a series of reflections, while a wooden door gives the impression of having been violently smashed from the inside, its splinters frozen in the wood.
The exploration continues with a series of colorful boats floating on a dark expanse, or cloud-like forms trapped in the center of glass display cases. Each space is designed to blur the senses and challenge the spatial perception of the environment.
Urban projects in miniature
An entire room of the exhibition is dedicated to Leandro Erlich’s preparatory work. This space features numerous models detailing his other interventions in public spaces. The scale models illustrate offbeat concepts, such as gigantic sports balls blocking traffic at crosswalks, or the facade of a Haussmann-style building that appears to be melting onto the sidewalk.
The event opens on June 2, with admission set at 19 euros for adults. Visitors have until September 6 to explore these installations and experience these distortions of reality.
📍Leandro Erlich – Grand Palais
📆 June 2–September 6, 2026