By Dean Gregory, to Museum Spotlight Europe (August 2021)
The esteemed Pinault Collection is now housed at the brand new Bourse de Commerce museum in Paris, France. Previously located in Venice, Italy, the collection contains 10,000 pieces of art from approximately 400 artists, including Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Charles Ray. In addition to the Pinault Collection, the Bourse de Commerce museum features an array of special exhibitions in the fall of 2021, including installation art by Tarek Atoui and figurative paintings from Kerry James Marshall. Learn more below about the Pinault Collection, the evolution of the Bourse de Commerce site as well as a selection of other newly opened museums this year in the City of Lights.
Behind the Scenes of the Pinault Collection
The business magnate, François Pinault, founder of the holding company Groupe Artémis and luxury conglomerate Kering, is the patron and visionary behind the collection. Highlights from approximately 50 years of dedication to art include: Elephants by Jeff Koons, Cy Twombly’s Coronation of Sesostris, Damien Hirst’s triptych Bad News and Light from the Left by Charles Ray. Pinault built his initial fortune from timber interests in 1963 before transitioning into luxury goods at the end of the 20th century. In 2003, the founder passed on the duties of running the family firm to his son François-Henri, who is married to the actress Salma Hayek, in order to focus his effort on art.
Charles Ray
Light From the Left, 2007
Painted Fiberglass
215 x 268 x 6 cm
Photo by Charles Ray
Before the move to Paris, the works were housed in Venice at the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana. The collection experienced a circuitous journey of almost 20 years before settling in the capital of France, fulfilling Pinault’s vision to establish a new center of cultural engagement and appreciation in the city. Originally in 2004, Pinault had sought to build a new glass structure to house the collection on the abandoned Île Seguin on the Seine River, a short distance from the Eiffel Tower. Legal and planning challenges compelled Pinault to move the collection to Venice. Nevertheless, despite the roundabout journey, Pinault joins his business rival Bernard Arnault of the Louis Vuitton Foundation with an institution for contemporary art in Paris.
The Bourse de Commerce Space
The special exhibitions hosted in Bourse de Commerce accentuate the architectural design of the building, namely the natural light and transparency. The Japanese architect, Tadao Ando, transformed the Bourse de Commerce space. The building boasts 400 years of history and serves as a lens into the evolution and cultural heritage of the city. The building’s design incorporates the first free-standing column in the French capital, created for Catherine de Medici in the 1400s, remnants of a granary from the 18th century, as well as a glass and metal dome from the early 19th century. Transformed again by 1889, the space served as the principal stock exchange in Paris before its current proposing. Located a short distance north of Le Louvre on the Right Bank, Bourse de Commerce is easily reached via taxi, public transportation or on foot.
In addition to the Pinault Collection, the Bourse de Commerce features a series of special exhibitions at the space until the end of 2021. African-American artist, David Hammons, is showcased with approximately thirty works of art, ranging from sculptures and found objects to recyclables and assemblages. Highlights include One Stone Head sculpture, the installation Minimum Security, and the recycled assemblage Smoke Screen.
David Hammons, One Stone Head, 1997. © David Hammons. Courtesy de l’artiste et Pinault Collection. Photo: Aurélien Mole
Artists including Kerry James Marshall, Ser Serpas, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and Claire Tabouret are displayed in a special exhibition that explores contemporary, human figurative painting. Works of note are Tabouret’s Self-portrait at the Table (2020), Yiadom-Boakye’s The Twitcher (2009), and Marshall’s Untitled (2009).
Further, a photography show featuring the works of Richard Prince, Michel Journiac and Cindy Sherman, among others, takes place until the end of the year. Works of note include: Journiac’s 24 heures de la vie d’une femme ordinaire (24 hours of the life of an ordinary woman), which depicts the real life of a woman who seeks to a more enriching existence, Sherman’s Untitled Film Still series and Prince’s Nurses series.
Photo by Two Palms
Other New Institutions in Paris
The City of Lights features several other new museum openings this year outside of the Bourse de Commerce. Echoing the journey through the history of Paris, the Musée Carnavalet offers guests an illumination of the city from pre-Roman times through the 20th century. The museum houses paintings, furniture, photographs, objects and memorabilia from centuries of Parisian history. Specific highlights include personal possessions of Napoleon and a reconstruction of the bedroom of the French novelist Marcel Proust.
Enthusiasts of French literature may consider visiting the Maison de Victor Hugo in the Marais neighborhood or 4th arrondissement. The space served as the home of the French writer of classics like Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame from 1832 to 1848. Within the museum, visitors have access to first editions of the author’s works, approximately 500 drawings and furniture pieces home-made by Hugo. Both museums are also located centrally on the Right Bank of the Seine. From Bourse de Commerce, visit both of these institutions via taxi, public transportation or pedestrian walkway.
Cover photo by Stefan Altenburger
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