To mark an important turning point in Cartier’s history, the Fondation Cartier will invite the public to a two-part programme of ground-breaking exhibitions, performances and events running from 10 May to the end of March 2015. Hundreds of world-renowned artists, from to Matthew Barney, Bill Viola and David Lynch to John Cale, Patti Smith, Issey Miyake and Jean-Paul Gaultier will come together this year to celebrate 30 years of Cartier’s patronage of the arts. Since its inauguration in 1984, the Cartier Foundation has played a pivotal role in the careers of emerging artists while also offering established artists an unprecedented platform to showcase their boldest works.
With the creation in 1984 of the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, Cartier became the first company in Europe to support and raise public awareness of the world’s greatest artistic talents through direct commissioning. An impressive and fast-developing collection of over 1300 works by 350 artists from 40 countries came to life through this pioneering initiative, testifying to Cartier’s ongoing commitment to artists.
Today the Cartier Foundation, housed in a stunning glass building designed by Jean Nouvel, is internationally renowned for showcasing new art, giving artists the opportunity to transcend creative boundaries, subvert existing patterns and initiate uninhibited dialogues.
The first part of the celebrations, Vivid Memories (May-September), will concentrate on iconic pieces in the Collection – a unique opportunity to discover previously unseen works. The exhibition will present the different facets of the Foundation’s history through invaluable archives, photographs, videos and films – the Vivid Memories. Artists involved in the first part include David Lynch, Marc Newson, Cai Guo-Qiang, Peter Halley, Alessandro Mendini, Takeshi Kitano and Sarah Sze amongst others. A live and impromptu performance at the Foundation by The Velvet Underground with Lou Reed in 1990 features amongst the highlights presented on a giant LED screen designed by David Lynch.
The second part (October-March) will address the past and future through an interactive scenography blending the visual and performing arts with new technologies produced by New-York based architectural and design studio Diller + Scofidio.
