Nicolas Bourriaud dismissed from École des beaux-arts

On July 2, 2015, the French Ministry of Culture notified Nicolas Bourriaud of his dismissal as director of the École des beaux-arts in Paris, choosing a moment when students and faculty were on summer break and the school was hosting the new Summer Academy. Bourriaud, an internationally renowned theorist, regular contributor to artpress for twenty years, curator of numerous biennials, and co-founder with Jérôme Sans of the Palais de Tokyo, held a press conference on July 6 to detail his accomplishments. He noted that his achievements ironically matched the five recommendations given to future candidates for a "new impetus" at the school. The previous year had seen a tense controversy between Bourriaud and some students and faculty, but calm had since returned. The succession process was announced on July 3 with a submission deadline of July 21, less than three weeks later, raising doubts about its seriousness.