The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain Unveils its New Premises
This past Monday, the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain inaugurated its new premises at 2 Place du Palais-Royal, Paris. Redesigned by Jean Nouvel, this historic building, which formerly housed the Grand Hôtel du Louvre, then the Grands Magasins du Louvre, and later the Louvre des Antiquaires, offers 8,500 square metres of space, including 6,500 square metres dedicated to exhibition areas. Its dynamic architecture features five modular platforms, allowing for an almost infinite number of configurations to suit the artistic programme.
The inaugural exhibition, “Exposition Générale”, recounts 40 years of support for international contemporary creation through a spectacular collection. Featuring nearly 600 works by more than 100 artists from the Foundation’s collection, it presents the diversity of the institution’s artistic commitments. “Exposition Générale” offers an alternative overview of contemporary art through four main themes that run through the collection: an ephemeral architectural laboratory (“Machines d’architecture”), a reflection on living worlds and their preservation (“Être nature”), a space for experimentation with materials and techniques (“Making Things”), and forward-looking narratives combining science, technology and fiction (“Un monde réel”).
The Fondation Cartier celebrated the opening of its new spaces with a special evening attended by the artists featured in the exhibition, as well as Chris Dercon, Maja Hoffmann, Wolfgang Tillmans, Sophie Calle, Thaddaeus Ropac, Clément Delépine…
Photos: Jean Picon & Michaël Huard
