Born in Algeria in 1964, he relocated to Paris with his mother at the age of two. An avid student from the start, he absorbed everything possible at university, funding his studies through steady but uninspiring work. While Kamel Mennour excelled in economics, showcasing an undoubted aptitude, he lacked a true passion for the subject.

His fascination with art unexpectedly ignited during a visit to the Rijksmuseum, where Mennour encountered Rembrandt’s monumental painting, The Night Watch (1642). Its impact propelled him toward a dedicated career in the arts. "The only motivation I had from that moment was to be a gallerist," says Mennour. "It was insane. Obsessive. I was reading, reading, reading... I wanted to know everything."

Moved by this experience, the eager and energized Mennour began sourcing and selling his first works, starting with photographs found in flea markets, sold door to door.

In 1999, Kamel Mennour finally opened a shoebox-sized gallery with only enough capital for one employee—himself. In this inaugural gallery on rue Mazarine, he began by presenting several giants of photography, such as Araki, Roger Ballen, Larry Clark, and Pierre Molinier. Over time, the still-promising gallerist broadened his palette, associating himself with contemporary masters like Daniel Buren.

After eight successful years, Kamel Mennour moved his gallery to rue Saint-André des Arts, remaining loyal to both his artists and the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. It remains his flagship today: a sublime 380-square-meter space, accessed by crossing the paved courtyard of the majestic townhouse Hôtel de La Vieuville. An architectural splendor, the building has witnessed many events from French history, hosting one of the most famous Parisian salons in the 18th century, that of the "general correspondence for the sciences and the arts." In the 20th century, the book merchant Jean-Jacques Maggis made it one of the prime places in Paris for bibliophiles.

A few years later, in 2013, Kamel Mennour decided to install a second exhibition space in these fabulous surroundings; a third space near the Champs-Elysées in 2015, and a fourth space of more than 600 square meters in 2020, opened to expand the gallery’s program and create new opportunities for dialogue between the artworks and the artists.

Now, 25 years later, Mennour manages four spaces and a team of 47 in Paris, representing artists like Daniel Buren, Douglas Gordon, Anish Kapoor, and Ugo Rondinone.

"I could have opened a gallery in New York or Hong Kong or Dubai, but I never wanted to, and in fact, this is not a requirement to be called an international gallery. Through the artists we represent, the projects we develop in partnership with cultural institutions worldwide, our presence in major art fairs around the world, and our network of collaborators, the gallery has an international dimension," says Mennour. The gallery’s team also puts a lot of energy into conceiving consistent content online, accessible from around the world, at all times, whether through Online Viewing Rooms or the editorialization of his website.

Constant recognition of developments and adaptation are vital ingredients for his success. "When you start from nothing and elevate your life, you want to maintain this good fortune," he says. "I am conscious of the fragility of it all. You need to feed it for it to continue."

Throughout the years, Kamel Mennour’s ambition and energy have fostered the dissemination and sharing of contemporary art with a wider public. In September 2023, Kamel launched the Mennour Institute. This new initiative, alongside the gallery, is involved in education, philanthropy, and research into 20th and 21st-century art history. Through doctoral grants, educational programs, and philanthropic activities, the Mennour Institute enriches, develops, and extends the influence of projects previously run by Mennour, instrumental in making contemporary art more accessible to people of all ages. It also includes Kamel Mennour’s philanthropic project HEROES for Imagine, an initiative that has already raised more than thirty-two million euros, benefiting the Institut Imagine, a leading center in the world for research, care, and teaching in genetic illnesses. The Mennour Institute and its initiatives are the latest addition to Mennour’s wide-ranging publishing policy, which over the last twenty years has included reference works, essays, and catalogues that have always underpinned Mennour’s vision of promoting and sharing art with a broad public.