Annette Messager's Poetic Bric-à-Brac: Studio Visit and Upcoming Exhibition at Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

Annette Messager, 82, opens her Malakoff studio ahead of her exhibition 'Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps' at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris (April 14–September 20, 2026). The show, curated by Colin Lemoine, mixes old and new works with pieces from her personal collection, including a taxidermied rabbit holding a rifle and a doll of her deceased cat Lola. Messager, who won the Golden Lion at the 2005 Venice Biennale, is known for assemblages of stuffed animals, netting, and found objects that explore desire, childhood, and femininity. She began her career in the 1970s with 'albums-collections' critiquing gender stereotypes, and was supported early by Suzanne Pagé at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Her companion was the late Christian Boltanski. The exhibition also features a dried mouse given by Sophie Calle, housed in a special box to protect the museum's taxidermy collection.