ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

elles@centrepompidou: A Feminist Manifesto in Museum Display

exhibition · 2026-04-22

Between May 27, 2009, and May 24, 2010, the 'elles@centrepompidou' exhibition took place at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, highlighting the contributions of women artists, architects, and designers. Curated by Camille Morineau alongside Quentin Bajac, Cécile Debray, Valérie Guillaume, and Emma Lavigne, the exhibit utilized eight of the fifth floor's forty rooms to confront historical disparities in museum representation. Thematic sections such as 'Feu à volonté', 'Corps slogan', 'Eccentric Abstraction', 'Une chambre à soi', 'Le mot à l'œuvre', and 'Immatérielles' featured prominent figures like Niki de Saint Phalle, Louise Bourgeois, and Mona Hatoum. The exhibition also included a dedicated website and catalogue, receiving accolades from critic Raphaël Cuir for its challenge to sexist narratives in art history.

Key facts

  • Exhibition ran from May 27, 2009 to May 24, 2010 at Centre Pompidou, Paris
  • Curated by Camille Morineau with Quentin Bajac, Cécile Debray, Valérie Guillaume, Emma Lavigne
  • Drew exclusively from Centre Pompidou's collections, featuring only women creators
  • Occupied 8 of 40 rooms on the 5th floor
  • Thematic sections included 'Feu à volonté', 'Corps slogan', 'Eccentric Abstraction', 'Une chambre à soi', 'Le mot à l'œuvre', 'Immatérielles'
  • Featured over 40 artists including Niki de Saint Phalle, Louise Bourgeois, Ana Mendieta, Agnes Martin
  • Included design and architecture by Charlotte Perriand and Annie Tribel
  • Accompanied by a catalogue and a dedicated website
  • Reviewed by Raphaël Cuir in art press n°359 (September 2009)
  • Explicitly framed as a feminist manifesto to address gender imbalance in museum displays

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Centre Pompidou
  • art press
  • Académie française
  • Musée National d'Art Moderne
  • artcritical

Locations

  • Paris
  • France
  • Los Angeles
  • United States
  • New York
  • Algeria

Sources