La Bourse de Commerce—Pinault Collection (finally) opens its doors
All good things happen to those who wait. That must be a speciality in France when it comes to private initiatives to set up and open a new museum. This week opens a brand new and beautiful project developed since 2006 by François Pinault.
François Pinault by Maxime Tétard
“It began as a dream, a dream that seemed out of reach. Then this dream became an ambition. Today, that ambition has become reality.
For years, I have longed to be able to show my collection in Paris, the city I love. This is why, the inauguration of the Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection is of such special and symbolic importance for me. Paris is not only the city of passion. First and foremost, it is the natural home of artists, of their creative genius and their beliefs.”
With these words, the French art collector expresses his vision. The man behind the driving success of brands like Gucci, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Boucheron and much more inside the Kering holding is also the patron who gifted the Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana to visitors in Venice.
This week, France is re-opening its museums after a very long period due to safety measures and Paris is adding one brand new and beautiful art destination: La Bourse de Commerce, completely reimagined by Tadao Ando with furniture by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.
The Bourse de Commerce will offer a glimpse of the collection of contemporary works that François Pinault has built up for over forty years, through a programme of exhibitions and events.
The new museum of the Pinault Collection
As a new Parisian museum, in which this assemblage, which is unique in the world, can be seen, understood, and appreciated, the Bourse de Commerce, restored and transformed by the architect Tadao Ando, with Lucie Niney and Thibaut Marca of the NeM agency and Pierre-Antoine Gatier, opens up an original dialogue between heritage and contemporary creation.
The Art of our Times - Through the Prism of a Collection
The collection, an exceptional body of over 10,000 works by close to 380 artists, is made up of paintings, sculptures, videos, photographs, sound pieces, installations, and performances. The artists whose work has been collected by François Pinault come from every continent and multiple generations. They explore every field of creation and attest to the close attention paid by the collector to emerging movements.
This collection, devoted to art from the 1960s to the present day, provides a view of the art of our times, thanks to the subjective vision of a devotee, contributing to an understanding of the contemporary era.
On its opening, the Bourse de Commerce—Pinault Collection will become the first Parisian museum exclusively devoted to contemporary art from a private collection.
Through an Extensive Cultural Programme
As in the Venetian museums, the collection will be seen through a permanent programme as well as temporary, “editorialised” shows: thematic and solo exhibitions, but also commissions, cartes blanches, and in situ projects, with the objective of accompanying artists in their creation.
The programming of several projects a year will enliven the exhibitions in the Bourse de Commerce’s modular spaces.The first season of exhibitions and events, opening in the spring of 2021, is entitled Ouverture.
Ten Exhibition Spaces
An Auditorium and a Studio
The Bourse de Commerce comprises ten exhibition galleries as well as reception and mediation spaces.They can put on different presenta- tions or else work together in a continuum. A 284-seater Auditorium will host talks, discussions, projections, concerts, etc.
The Studio, a vast “black box” in the basement, will be ideal for the presentation of video and sound pieces. The Foyer, surrounding the Auditorium, will also be able to host performances, installations, and free forms.
For the General Public
Open to all artistic disciplines and all audiences, from connoisseurs to explorers and the inquisitive, the Bourse de Commerce— Pinault Collection gives visitors the opportunity to open out to contemporary art and its history, alongside key cultural and social players from Paris, France and around the world.
Comfort, welcome, and accessibility for all audiences are central to the architectural, museographic, and cultural project of the Bourse de Commerce—Pinault Collection. The spirit of the museum is one of serene dialogue with the building’s heritage, respectful of the works on display and the visitors, whatever their relationship with creation, their experience of contemporary art, or their expertise and understanding of the works.
Hero picture: Mars 2020. Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection © Tadao Ando Architect & Associates, Niney et Marca Architectes. Photo Patrick Tourneboeuf
==> The visit continues with a focus on architecture and design
