The next time you visit Paris, there will be a brand new museum for you to add to your itinerary. But that’s not all! The new art museum is slated to be housed in a former stock exchange, Bourse de Commerce. Here is what we know about the newest offering in Paris. By Amitha Ameen
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One of Paris’ most historically important but lesser-known buildings is the 19th-century Bourse de commerce, which was a former Paris Stock Exchange. Now the heritage building is getting a fresh breather, as French luxury goods tycoon François Pinault on Monday announced that he will be housing his collection of more than 3,500 works in the new modern art museum.
Sprawling over 6,800 square metres, the stock exchange turned modular exhibition space was originally set to open last month but has been postponed to January 23, 2021, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The former Paris stock exchange has been transformed by Japanese architect, Tadao Ando and will offer educational programmes, concerts, performances, events, and themed displays and exhibitions alongside displaying Pinault’s proud collection.
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The building will feature large- and small-scale exhibitions, a gallery space, an auditorium that seats 284 people for lectures, screenings, concerts, and conferences. Additionally, there is also a black-box theatre for video installations and experimental performances and a vast foyer.
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Among Pinault’s art collection worth €1.25 billion, one can find pieces that range from Mark Rothko to Damien Hirst. “With the creation of this new museum, I am writing the next chapter of my cultural project, whose goal is to share my passion for contemporary art with as broad an audience as possible,” said Pinault on the museum’s website.
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