Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Louis Vuitton Foundation, launched in 2005 by the LVMH Group, aims to sustain the sponsorship actions initiated since 1990. Its iconic building, designed by architect Frank Gehry, is inspired by the Grand Palais and the greenhouses of the 19th century Garden of acclimatization, with a glass structure evoking a sailboat. Twelve translucent sails wrap organic concrete volumes, creating a movement effect. The project, controversial for its cost (estimated between 500 and 800 million euros) and its tax benefits, was the subject of complaints of fraud, finally closed without further action.

Inaugurated on October 20, 2014 in the presence of President François Hollande, the Foundation is positioned as a rival of the Pinault Foundation in Venice, reflecting the competition between Bernard Arnault (LVMH) and François Pinault. The building, 40 meters high, houses 11 galleries dedicated to modern and contemporary art, a modular auditorium, and spaces for discussion. Its construction, spread over eight years, required 3,600 unique glass panels and 700 workers, with 30 patents filed for technical innovations such as sail hooks.

The site, located in the Garden of Acclimatation (which LVMH has held the concession since 1995), has generated local opposition. An association attacked the building permit, cancelled in 2011 before being restored by an amendment to the Parisian urban planning regulations and a legislative cavalier validated by the Constitutional Council. The Foundation, artistically directed by Suzanne Pagé, commissioned works in situ (like Daniel Buren's one in 2016) and organized major exhibitions, such as the Chchukine collection (1.6 million visitors).

Critical for its tax deductions (€480 million according to Exhibits), the Foundation is also pointed out for the working conditions of its agents, with 12-hour days and intrusive video surveillance. Despite these polemics, it remains a symbol of private cultural patronage, combining architectural ambition, tax issues and artistic influence. The Court of Auditors points out in 2018 that its main benefit for LVMH lies in branding, much more than in direct economic benefits.

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