France to Launch New Palais de Tokyo Institution for French Artists

French Culture Minister Christine Albanel announced the creation of a new institution within the vacant spaces of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, dedicated to presenting retrospectives of artists who work or have worked in France. The initiative responds to longstanding calls for greater international visibility of the French art scene. The new entity will operate as a Société par Actions Simplifiée (SAS), a flexible structure enabling public-private partnerships and collaboration with regional institutions, critics, collectors, and gallerists. This model aims to break down the traditional French divide between public and private sectors and foster aesthetic diversity. The institution will be located beneath the existing Site de création contemporaine (also commonly called Palais de Tokyo), necessitating new naming conventions. Initial plans to attach the institution to the Centre Pompidou were abandoned due to the latter's territorial concerns. The new venue is expected to open in early 2012. Catherine Millet, editor of artpress, expressed cautious optimism about the project's potential to diversify the presentation of French art, while acknowledging fears of xenophobia that the synergy with the nearby Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris and the Site de création contemporaine should help dispel.