The Centre Pompidou is an arts and culture institution that has been present in Paris since the late 1970s. It houses the Public Information Library, the largest museum for modern art in Europe, and a center for musical research. This month, the institution signed a partnership agreement to create a museum of contemporary art in Saudi Arabia with the Royal Commission of AlUla (RCU). Additionally, the establishment signed a similar partnership agreement to develop a modern and contemporary museum in Seoul, South Korea, with the Hanwha Culture Foundation.
AlUla is an oasis in northwest Saudi Arabia with extraordinary natural and cultural heritage. Over the past 4 years, the Royal Commission of AlUla has been on a mission to preserve and reactivate the AlUla cultural oasis and make it the world’s most significant arts and culture hub. The official announcement of the partnership details that the contemporary art museum will house regional and international 21st-century artworks. Furthermore, the agreement outlines technical training for museum professionals in Saudi Arabia and opportunities for loaning artworks between the two institutions' respective collections.
In Seoul, the philanthropic division of a South Korean company, The Hanwha Foundation, has signed a second agreement with The Centre Pompidou. It outlines that the institution will host eight monographic exhibitions twice a year throughout a four-year partnership. The installation will feature several iconic pieces from the collection at the Centre Pompidou. Furthermore, the agreement outlines that the renovation and re-establishment of an existing Museum will be renovated by French Architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte to be completely restored by 2025.
The infamous Centre Pompidou recently announced that it would debut the most extensive retrospective of Norman Foster’s work from the past six decades. The exhibition explores the various phases of the renowned architect's career. The institution, designed by architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, announced that it would undergo a major renovation, expecting to close completely from the end of 2023 until 2027. Home to Europe's most prominent National Museum of Modern Art, the museum is renowned for its 21st-century art collections. In 2022, France exhibited the work of 55 women at the Biennale of FRAC, showcasing significant pieces from the permanent collection of the Centre Pompidou.
Info via Centre Pompidou.
