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Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art à Paris 1er dans Paris 14ème

Musée
Maison d'architecte
Musée d'Art contemporain
Paris

Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art

    261 Boulevard Raspail
    75014 Paris

Timeline

Époque contemporaine
2000
1984
Establishment of the Foundation
1994
Inauguration of the Montparnasse site
2018
Announcement of relocation
2020
Disappearance of Chateaubriand cedar
25 octobre 2025
Opening of the new site
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

Alain Dominique Perrin - Founder and President Creator of the Foundation in 1984.
Jean Nouvel - Architect Designer of the two Parisian sites.
Lothar Baumgarten - Artist Creator of the garden *Theatrum Botanicum*.
Hervé Chandès - Director (1994-2023) Directs the Foundation for 29 years.
Chris Dercon - Director General (since 2023) Current head of the Foundation.
François-René de Chateaubriand - Writer Planted the cedar in 1823.

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.

External links

Conditions of visit

  • Conditions de visite : Ouvert toute l'année
  • Ouverture : Horaires, jours et tarifs sur le site officiel ci-dessus.
  • Contact organisation : 01 42 18 56 50