Fondation Cartier Opens New Paris Space with 'Exposition Générale'

On October 25, 2025, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain inaugurated its new 8,500-square-meter space at 2 Place du Palais-Royal in Paris, designed by Jean Nouvel. The historic building, originally the Grand Hôtel du Louvre and later Grands Magasins du Louvre and Louvre des Antiquaires, was gutted and rebuilt internally while preserving its courtyard, arcades, and facades. Nouvel created a 'great theatrical machine' with five mobile platforms operated by cables and pulleys, eliminating fixed walls, floors, and ceilings. A 150-meter glass portico along rue Saint-Honoré allows passersby to view the interior. The opening exhibition, 'Exposition Générale,' runs through August 23, 2026, and pays homage to Parisian fairs, particularly the 1899 Exposition Universelle. It features nearly 600 works by over 100 artists, organized into four thematic sections: 'Machines d’architecture,' 'Être nature,' 'Making Things,' and 'Un monde réel.' The exhibition also includes a scenography by Italian design duo Formafantasma (Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi), who previously participated in Fondation Cartier's 2019 show 'Jeunes Artistes en Europe. Les Métamorphoses' and collaborated on 'Mondo Reale' at Triennale Milano in 2022. Fondation Cartier, founded in 1984, is an entity of the Richemont Group, which owns Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, Chloé, and Alaïa. The new venue includes an auditorium, educational space, café, and bookstore.