Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain
| Company type | Non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Contemporary art museum |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Cartier SA |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | International |
Key people | Marie-Claude Beaud (inaugural director), Alain Dominique Perrin (founder) |
| Products | Contemporary art exhibitions and collections |
| Website | www |
The Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, commonly referred to as the Fondation Cartier, is a contemporary art museum situated at 261 boulevard Raspail within Paris's 14th arrondissement.
History
Established in 1984 by Cartier SA, the Fondation Cartier operates as a hub for contemporary art, dedicated to presenting renowned artists, fostering new creative talent, and enriching its art holdings. The institution’s inaugural director was Marie-Claude Beaud.
In 1994, the foundation moved into a striking glass structure crafted by the Pritzker Prize laureate Jean Nouvel, located on the former site of the American Center for Students and Artists. This building is distinguished by an 8-meter-tall ground floor enclosed by glass walls, surrounded by a contemporary woodland garden designed by Lothar Baumgarten.
In 2011, founder Alain Dominique Perrin engaged Nouvel to conceive a new facility on Île Seguin, yet by 2014 those plans were discontinued in favor of enlarging the current location. By 2024, Fondation Cartier revealed Nouvel’s architectural plans for a fresh Parisian venue opposite the Louvre, extending over more than in the ground and lower floors of a protected heritage building.
Collection
The museum's holdings comprise upwards of 1,500 pieces created by over 350 international and contemporary artists. Its collection includes large-scale works such as The Monument to Language by James Lee Byars, Caterpillar by Wim Delvoye, Backyard by Liza Lou, La Volière by Jean-Pierre Raynaud, and Everything that Rises Must Converge by Sarah Sze. It also showcases creations from French contemporary artists like Vincent Beaurin, Gérard Garouste, Raymond Hains, Jean-Michel Othoniel, and Alain Séchas, alongside global artists including Irishman James Coleman, German artist Thomas Demand, South African William Kentridge, Argentinean Guillermo Kuitca, and Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping.
Exhibitions
The museum welcomes visitors every day except Monday, with an entrance fee required. Access is convenient via nearby Paris Métro stops Raspail and Denfert-Rochereau on Lines 4 and 6.
Prominent exhibitions hosted include:
- 1986: Les Années 1960, la décade triomphante
- 1995: Vija Celmins, Thierry Kuntzel, James Lee Byars, Bodys Isek Kingelez
- 1998: Issey Miyake, Francesca Woodman, Panamarenko
- 2000: Bernard Piffaretti, Thomas Demand, Guillermo Kuitca, Cai Guo-Qiang
- 2002: Takashi Murakami
- 2004: Jean-Paul Gaultier's Pain couture, Chéri Samba
- 2005: Juergen Teller, Ron Mueck, John Maeda
- 2010: Jean Giraud's Moebius-Transe-Forme, Damian Pettigrew's Metamoebius
- 2011: Les Trésors du Vaudou, Mathématiques, un dépaysement soudain
- 2013: Ron Mueck, America Latina 1960–2013
- 2014: Diller & Scofidio + Renfro's Musings on a Glass Box, Guillermo Kuitca's Les Habitants
- 2015: Bruce Nauman, Beauté Congo 1926–2015 Congo Kitoko
- 2021–2022: Damien Hirst – Cherry Blossoms