As part of the national commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the Liberation, the Army Museum at Invalides (close to our hotels) has a new exhibition showing how the intellectuals and artists forced to leave their countries during the Second World War worked to support the values of freedom.

There are a multitude of ways to support a war effort, as this new exhibition at the Army Museum shows by presenting written, painted and drawn works created by exiles artists from around the world during the Second World War.

You’ll see how an intense cultural combat was at work during the War in order to influence the hearts and minds and both neutral and allied countries, with a presentation divided into four geographical sections. You’ll also be able to admire large-scale reconstitutions of two emblematic sites in France and the USA: the New York workshop of sculptor Ossip Zadkine, who took exile in 1941, and the NY bookstore Gotham Books, an important space for promoting the ‘French spirit’ during the War.

The exhibition explains how Marseille became a city of refuge for the exiled at the beginning of the German occupation in June 1940, a sort of intellectual ‘counter-capital’, details those who were forced to leave and chose to go to Great Britain, and explores just how difficult it was for some to leave – for example, in order to reach the States, it was sometime necessary to go first to Casablanca.

You’ll also learn the importance of North America during this period (up to 9,000 French citizens are thought to have gone and live in exile there between 1940 and 1942), and the role of the 500 France committees that were founded in around fifty countries.

Linked with the exhibition there are:

— guided visits (in French), one of which is conducted by a curator of the exhibition on 4th April, 2nd May and 6th June at 7.30pm,
— five free conferences (programme here),
— a selection of films including Les Visiteurs du soir, Casablanca, Le Corbeau and more (programme here),
— concerts until 17th March…

A catalogue of the exhibition (320 pages, 300 illustrations, 39€) is also available here from your local Amazon store.

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The exhibition Fighting in exile. Artists and France 1939-1945 is at the Army Museum (here) until 22nd June 2025

Open seven days a week from 10am-6pm (10pm the first Friday of each month). Closed 1st May

Admission: 17€ / 12€ / free for under-18s

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