Culture

Exhibitions in Paris: Fondation Louis Vuitton presents “Being Modern: MoMA in Paris”

From Pablo Picasso to Andy Warhol, the MoMA is loaning 200 key artworks by iconic artists to the Louis Vuitton Foundation, where they will be showcased in France for the first time.

Sep 21, 2017 | By LUXUO

It may be called the “Museum of Modern Art” (MoMA), but the famed New York gallery has a history that encompasses a significant portion of the last century. Naturally, MoMA’s collection is nothing short of legendary: the artworks acquired by the institution over the past nine decades are woven with narratives from the birth of modern art to the rise of movements such as Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism and Pop art. The collection certainly travels through time, and soon it will travel to another country entirely — France, that is.

For the first time, artworks from MoMA’s renowned collection will go on display in Paris thanks to an upcoming exhibition curated by the Fondation Louis Vuitton. From October 11, 2017 to March 5, 2018, “Being Modern: MoMA in Paris” will showcase a selection of 200 works by iconic artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Gustav Klimt, Yayoi Kusama, René Magritte, Pablo Picasso and more.

Everything from masterpieces to less familiar works will make an appearance. The exhibition will also feature rarely shown documentary material from MoMA’s Archives, allowing visitors to delve into the history of one of New York’s most important art institutions.

Designed by Frank Gehry, the unique and daring gallery space of the Louis Vuitton Foundation might seem like an interesting backdrop for the revered artworks. Regardless of that, MoMA director Glenn Lowry welcomed the challenges of installing the exhibit there. “To think about works you know very well in a completely different context, a different audience in a new space, that stimulated us,” said Lowry. Quentin Bajac, the show’s curator, added, “You had to play with the building.”

The result is an exhibition chronologically divided into three sections of MoMA’s history. The first section is dedicated to highlights from MoMA’s collection from its first decade, which includes Edward Hopper’s “House by the Railroad”, Walt Disney’s “Steamboat Willie” and “Echo: Number 25” by Jackson Pollock. The second section explores two major art movements from the 1960s — Minimalism and Pop art — through painting, architecture, sculpture and photography. One of the most highly anticipated works from this section is Andy Warhol’s iconic “Campbell’s Soup Cans”. Finally, the exhibition’s last chapter focuses on the contemporary art world, with pieces acquired by MoMA over the last two years, including the original set of 176 emoji designed by Shigetaka Kurita.

Get your tickets to the exhibition on Fondation Louis Vuitton’s official website.


 
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