Underground! Alternative Press of the 1970s at BnF François-Mitterrand

The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) François-Mitterrand is hosting an exhibition titled 'Underground! La presse alternative dans les années 70' (Underground! Alternative Press in the 1970s), running until October 18, 2026. The show brings together nearly 400 titles from the French alternative press that flourished between May 1968 and the advent of free radio. These publications were often printed by hand in basements using offset printing, stapled fanzines, and wall newspapers pasted up at dawn. They covered ecological, feminist, anti-militarist, and libertarian themes, with a graphically wild aesthetic. The exhibition highlights the use of collage as a weapon, handwritten typography as a manifesto, and the DIY ethos as a political gesture. It traces the evolution of this graphic laboratory, which faced censorship and eventually gave way to punk. The exhibition is located at Quai François-Mauriac, 75013 Paris, near the Bibliothèque F.-Mitterrand metro station (line 14). Opening hours are Monday 2pm-8pm, Tuesday to Saturday 10am-8pm, and Sunday 1pm-7pm. Admission is free.