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Pierre Huyghe retrospective at Centre Pompidou explores singular writings

exhibition · 2026-04-24

From September 24, 2013, to January 6, 2014, the Centre Pompidou will host a retrospective of Pierre Huyghe, which will subsequently move to the Ludwig Museum in Cologne and LACMA in Los Angeles. This exhibition, featuring films, sculptures, and unique situations, redefines conventional retrospectives. In an interview with critic Robert Storr, Huyghe reflects on projects that never came to fruition, such as Monster Island for the 2007 Venice Biennale. He also produced Untitled for Documenta 13 in 2012, incorporating compost and various artifacts, including a statue covered in bees and a bench by Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster. His artistic endeavors frequently investigate the interplay between site and non-site. Additionally, Huyghe created Forest of Lines at the Sydney Opera House and altered the Guggenheim New York for enhanced visitor experiences.

Key facts

  • Pierre Huyghe retrospective at Centre Pompidou from September 24, 2013 to January 6, 2014
  • Exhibition travels to Ludwig Museum, Cologne and LACMA, Los Angeles
  • Conversation with critic Robert Storr, former MoMA curator and director of 52nd Venice Biennale
  • Monster Island project for 2007 Venice Biennale involved taking visitors to an inaccessible island
  • Untitled for Documenta 13 used compost from a baroque park with elements from Beuys' 7,000 Oaks
  • Forest of Lines at Sydney Opera House in 2008 transplanted over 1,000 trees for 24 hours
  • A Journey That Wasn't (2005) included Antarctic expedition and Central Park performance
  • The Host and the Cloud at Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires lasted one year

Entities

Artists

  • Pierre Huyghe
  • Joseph Beuys
  • Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster
  • Robert Smithson
  • Robert Storr

Institutions

  • Centre Pompidou
  • Ludwig Museum
  • LACMA
  • Venice Biennale
  • Documenta 13
  • Sydney Opera House
  • Guggenheim Museum New York
  • Museo Tamayo
  • Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires
  • MoMA
  • Yale University School of Art

Locations

  • Paris
  • France
  • Cologne
  • Germany
  • Los Angeles
  • United States
  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Cassel
  • Sydney
  • Australia
  • New York
  • Antarctica
  • Central Park
  • Mexico

Sources