Make sure to visit Galerie Roger Bellemare before he closes the greenhouse. The exhibition Serres Chaudes is a fantastic collection of artworks which suggest the fertile, verdant environment of the conservatoire.
Most striking is the large Jean-Paul Riopelle titled Maquette pour Le Paravent from 1969. This series of lithographs on five raw canvas panels is a perfect balance of calligraphic marks, sharp-edged planes of still colour, and wildly textured sgraffito. The collection of lithographs by Xavier Kerr Roussel dates from 1898, but it feels perfectly at home next to its 20th Century counterpart, a triptych of delicate large abstract works by Jacques Marchand. His massive squares of sand and pigment on canvas create mesmerizing textures, ranging from near neutral greys to mossy greens.
The group of academic, figurative work, abstract minimalism, and even black and white photography harmonizes surprisingly well and makes a perfect overture to spring.

Galerie Roger Bellemare, space 502
Group show
Serres Chaudes
23 April – 28 May, 2011 (though it’s still ongoing)
www.rogerbellemare.com