foto: Photo: Patrick Tourneboeuf for the Pinault Collection, Paris
Paris – In the center of Paris, in the building of the former grain exchange with a 40-meter-high glass dome, a new museum of modern and contemporary art has been established. The museum, named Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, will showcase the private collection of French billionaire François Pinault. The official opening of the museum, which the AFP agency called the Parisian museum event of the year, is planned for Saturday, May 22. Tickets for the first days are sold out.
From day one, several exhibitions from a total of 32 artists will be on display. One of them is an installation by Swiss artist Urs Fischer. Wax sculptures inspired by the sculpture group The Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna will gradually deform under the influence of sunlight hitting the sculptures through the glass dome, transforming into new works of art.
"François Pinault wants to highlight the futility and transience of things. To place the idea of creative destruction at the very center of the museum," explains Martin Bethenod, the museum's deputy director general.
An extensive collection of 30 works by African American artist David Hammons reflects the friendly relationship between the artist and museum owner François Pinault. According to the museum, Hammons' works provoke and point to the issues of today's world, including racial and social questions. Among the exhibited works is, for example, a re-colored flag of the United States in African colors or a basketball hoop designed as a luxury chandelier. Approximately half of his works will be exhibited in Europe for the first time. The exhibition aptly named Ouverture (Opening) is dedicated to diversity, courage, and young talents, reports AFP.
The renovation of the grain exchange building into a contemporary art museum was undertaken by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. He was not allowed to interfere with the actual structure, as it is a listed monument. However, this did not prevent him from significantly modernizing it, for example, by placing a massive concrete cylinder wrapped with a staircase leading to part of the exhibitions. The city of Paris granted Pinault the right to use the building for 50 years with an option to extend. The costs of the reconstruction and renovation, including cleaning the facade and restoring the panoramic painting in the main hall, amounted to about 160 million euros (approximately 4.1 billion crowns), writes DPA. Of the total area of approximately 13,000 m², half will be accessible to the public, with nearly 3,000 meters dedicated to exhibitions.
The project is backed by 84-year-old François Pinault, the former head of the vast luxury and fashion empire with brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga. His art collection is among the largest in the world, containing approximately 10,000 works, some of which are already displayed in his museums in Venice, Italy.
The English translation is powered by AI tool. Switch to Czech to view the original text source.