An exceptional donation from the Perrotin gallery to the Centre Pompidou

Museum collections are enriched through acquisitions but also regularly thanks to the generosity of collectors, artists and their gallery owners. By donating twenty-three works to the Centre Pompidou, the Perrotin gallery and its artists are now making their contribution to the field of contemporary creation.

The works of seventeen artists represented by the gallery thus complete the collections of the Parisian institution: Jean-Marie Appriou, Genesis Belanger, Sophie Calle, Maurizio Cattelan, Johan Creten, Elmgreen & Dragset, Lionel Estève, Bernard Frize, Laurent Grasso, JR, Bharti Kher, Klara Kristalova, Takashi Murakami, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Paola Pivi, Tavares Strachan and Emma Webster.

This collection, which includes major talents from the current French and international scene, constitutes an exceptional gift in terms of its scale and diversity, but also in terms of the popularity of these artists on the art market.

“Led by the museum’s curators, the selection of artists and works offers a broad panorama of contemporary art from the last twenty years. Of diverse nationalities, ages and practices, the chosen artists form an original and coherent whole. We warmly thank Emmanuel Perrotin and the artists: it is the meeting of a spirit of collection and a joint generosity of artists and their gallery. Emmanuel Perrotin was a true catalyst and actor of this donation.”greets Xavier Rey, director of the National Museum of Modern Art – Center for Industrial Creation.

“I am extremely happy that this project that has been driving me for years is finally coming to fruition!rejoices Emmanuel Perrotin. I thank my artists for their generosity so that together we can record their work and our relationship over time, within this wonderful museum.”

In the catalogue, co-published by the Perrotin gallery and the Centre Pompidou, which is appearing on the occasion of this donation, the gallery owner who created his brand in 1990 recalls the revelation that an abstract drawing by Henri Michaux in the museum’s collections constituted for him at the age of 16, then his regular attendance at the Centre Pompidou thereafter.

“Of course, all our artists dream of being present in the collections of the Centre Pompidou, one of the most prestigious collections in the world!confides Emmanuel Perrotin. At the outset, there was therefore a deep desire to participate in a collective adventure of this public institution: this museum is the museum of all French people, even of the entire world. However, public institutions do not always have the necessary means to acquire works, even though these would have their place in their collections. This is why donations remain a facilitated and frequent mechanism for entering public collections. I worked to convince the artists represented by my gallery to donate their works with my help.

And to add: “This donation is made possible by the relationship of trust that I have built over time with my artists. We share wonderful moments together, some for over thirty years. We are building a long-term relationship. It is frustrating in my job to always be part of the short time frame of exhibitions. Here, the idea is to leave an indelible mark with the artists. Some works have also been shown at the Centre Pompidou before being donated by the artists, such as the works of Sophie Calle or Jean-Michel Othoniel. This donation is also a way of thanking the Centre Pompidou for the importance it has had in the careers of many of these artists. This donation will also offer the Centre Pompidou public the opportunity to discover other figures, some younger, other works, because this adventure has yet to be written, and we still have many desires and dreams!”

The twenty-three works included in this donation will be presented from October 14 in the permanent collections, on the 4th floor of the Centre Pompidou. and in dialogue with them.