Ariana Papademetropoulos presents her first show, ‘Glass Slipper,’ in Paris

This spring, Ariana Papademetropoulos unveils Glass Slipper, her first solo exhibition in France, opening at Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Marais from March 7th to April 11th, 2026. Spanning painting, sculpture and immersive installation, the project introduces visitors to a surreal world where domestic interiors dissolve into volatile natural landscapes. Through her distinctive approach to hyperrealism, the Los Angeles–based artist blurs the boundaries between the everyday and the dreamlike.

At the centre of the exhibition stands an aquarium installation filled with a shoal of shimmering fish, forming a hypnotic environment that reshapes the viewer’s perception of the surrounding works. Vintage payphones and sculptural elements further expand the space into a theatrical environment where reality, memory and imagination intersect.

Hyperrealism as a portal between reality and reverie

The exhibition opens with two paintings that introduce Ariana Papademetropoulos’s meticulous approach to hyperrealism. Transparent dry-cleaning bags are rendered with striking precision, their folds and reflections captured in delicate detail. Suspended dresses appear to cling to invisible bodies, suggesting presence through absence and establishing a quiet meditation on memory and human trace.

Beyond this threshold, visitors enter the immersive installation Water Based Treatment. Located at the heart of Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Marais, the work invites viewers to lie within an aquarium-like chamber accompanied by a private ambient soundtrack composed by Nicolas Godin of the French music duo Air. The experience transforms observation into participation, encouraging visitors to reconsider perception itself.

Surreal architecture of the everyday

Surrounding the central installation are Papademetropoulos’s new large-scale paintings. Domestic objects—gingham dining chairs or Louis XV-style armchairs—appear suspended in extraordinary environments: drifting above volcanic lava pools or caught in the swirling eye of a tornado. These uncanny scenes echo cinematic references such as The Wizard of Oz, yet remain firmly grounded in the artist’s hyperrealist technique.

Although human figures never appear, their absence is palpable. The empty furniture acts as a silent witness to unseen forces, positioning the viewer at the intersection of intimacy and cosmic scale. Papademetropoulos describes these paintings as “portals” between perceptual worlds, where the ordinary becomes unstable and imagination reveals hidden fault lines within reality.

In conversation with Ariana Papademetropoulos, we explore the surreal language behind her enigmatic paintings. The artist reflects on cross-cultural symbols, the dialogue between science and spirituality, and the enduring magic of imagination.