Centre Pompidou's Five-Year Closure Sparks Concern in Art World

The Centre Pompidou in Paris is set to close for five years starting in 2025 for renovations, a decision that has alarmed art professionals and local businesses. Gallerist Daniel Templon published a tribune in Le Monde on May 15 detailing the risks: France would lose its second-largest modern and contemporary art collection after MoMA, damaging its prestige and influence at a time when Paris is attracting international galleries and the Art Basel Paris fair is growing. The collection will be dispersed in a 'constellation' of loans to museums in Paris, regions, and abroad, including existing branches in Metz, Málaga, Shanghai, and future ones in Brussels (Kanal, 2025), Seoul (Hanwha), and Jersey City. President Laurent Le Bon announced the plan in a press conference, emphasizing 'refoundation' rather than mere renovation. The Grand Palais, reopening after its own renovations, will provide 2,800 m² of gallery space, a fraction of the Pompidou's current 12,200 m² for the collection and 5,900 m² for exhibitions. An architectural competition was won on April 15 by Moreau Kusunoki (Paris) and Frida Escobedo (Mexico), but their project remains unknown. Critics question why the work cannot be done in phases as in 1997-2000, and note that the parking lot and ground floor are slated for commercial and event spaces, raising doubts about the necessity of a full five-year closure.