Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art was founded in 1984 by Maison Cartier and its president Alain Dominique Perrin. A private pioneer of cultural patronage in France, it has promoted the emergence of international artists outside European and American circuits, such as Malick Sidibé or Huang Yong Ping. Its multidisciplinary approach combines exhibitions, shows, conferences and editions, while constituting a collection of 1,500 works.

Originally located in Jouy-en-Josas (1984-1993), the Foundation moved in 1994 to the Montparnasse district, in a glass and steel building signed by Jean Nouvel, surrounded by a botanical garden designed by Lothar Baumgarten. This site was home to a two-hundred-year-old cedar planted by Chateaubriand in 1823, which was slaughtered in 2020 due to the drought. The garden, called Theatrum Botanicum, lists 240 plant species and is subject to regular ecological assessments.

In 2018, the Foundation announced its transfer to the Louvre des Antiquaires (1st arrondissement), a building of 1885 renovated by Jean Nouvel for his 40th birthday. This new site, opened in October 2025, offers 6,000 m2 of exhibitions (compared to 1,200 m2) with a central nave and modular platforms. The Foundation pursues its mission to promote contemporary art, integrating science, performance and intercultural dialogue.

The Foundation also swarmed internationally, as in 2018 in Shanghai (Power Station of Art), where the exhibition A Beautiful Elsewhere presented 300 works from its collection, combining African art, design, cinema and science. Chinese artists were invited to dialogue with the works, strengthening its role as a bridge between cultures. Since 1984, it has organized 150 exhibitions and hosted 120 artists in residence.

Directed successively by Marie-Claude Beaud (1984-1994), Hervé Chandès (1994-2023), and Chris Dercon (since 2023), the Cartier Foundation is distinguished by its commitment to marginalized artists (Africa, South America) and collaborations with scientists (Michel Cassé, Cédric Villani). His collection, managed by Grazia Quaroni, travels to world museums, while his thematic exhibitions (Yanomami, Mathematics, Graffiti) mark the history of contemporary art.

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