“Paradise Garage,” 1979, © Bill Bernstein
The fun and glamour of the disco era has come to Paris in an exhibition celebrating the musical genre. DISCO, I’m Coming Out brings together photography, fashion, art, and audiovisual archives to paint a picture of how disco shaped a generation. More than just an exhibition celebrating the disco aesthetic, the show also demonstrates how disco’s emergence parallels the sociopolitical struggles of 1970s America.
Intended to immerse visitors in the moment, it’s accompanied by an original soundtrack and a design meant to harken back to the world of 1970s discotheques. The exhibition is divided into four sections, starting from its roots in soul, gospel, and funk and moving toward disco’s role in bringing people from all walks of life to the dancefloor. Everything from Andy Warhol‘s pop art screenprints to vintage fashion help paint a picture of disco’s rise, with particular attention to how the genre embraced minorities.
“Disco emerged at the intersection of various civil rights struggles, and accompanied, or echoed, the struggles of the African-American minority, the LGBTQ+ community, and feminist movements, all united in a single hedonistic impulse,” share the organizers.
Images from photographers like Meryl Meisler, Michael Abramson, and Bill Bernstein help bring the spirit of disco to life. Their documentary photography stands as a true testament to the fervor and frenzy felt on the dance floor. Taken together with the other materials, visitors will get a full view of what disco meant so much to so many people and why its influence continues to be felt today.
“From queer culture to feminism, from the advent of the DJ to the birth of club culture, from the safe place to the notion of gender, disco’s legacy permeates and prefigures our contemporary societies, and the burning questions that drive them.”
DISCO, I’m Coming Out is on view at Paris’ Philharmonie de Paris Musée De La Musique until August 17, 2025.
The fun and glamour of the disco era has come to Paris in an exhibition that celebrates the musical genre.
“Danse Le Palace,” © Arnaud Baumann
“Bustier Issey Miyake Le Palace” © Arnaud Baumann
DISCO, I’m Coming Out brings together photography, fashion, art, and audiovisual archives to paint a picture of how disco shaped a generation.
“Disco Derby,” 1979, © Rhythm Heritage
“Planet of Love: You Can Get Off on the Music,” 1979, Le Pamplemousse
“Changing Times,” 1973, © Kwame Brathwaite
More than just an exhibition celebrating the disco aesthetic, the show also demonstrates how disco’s emergence parallels the sociopolitical struggles of 1970s America.
“Dupont’s Party,” 1977, © Meryl Meisler
“Infinity Disco NYC,” 1978, © Meryl Meisler
From the series “Chicago Southside Nightclub 1974-1977,” © Michael Abramson
“Halloween, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson,” 1978, © Hasse Persson
“Cherry Grove, Fire Island,” 1977, © Meryl Meisler
“Empire Roller,” 1979, © Bill Bernstein
“Studio 54 NYC,” 1977, © Meryl Meisler