“The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Fondation Louis Vuitton present the first comprehensive exhibition in France to present MoMA’s unparalleled collection: Etre moderne: Le MoMA à Paris.
An integrated, cross-disciplinary selection of 200 works, drawn from all six of the Museum’s curatorial departments and reflecting the history of the institution and its collecting, will fill the entirety of the Fondation’s Frank Gehry–designed building. Curated jointly by the two institutions, the display brings together paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films, media works, performances, and architecture and design objects, tracing the evolution and multifaceted scope of MoMA’s collection. The exhibition was conceived in relation to the architecture and interior spaces of the Fondation Louis Vuitton building, allowing a compelling historical narrative across its four floors.
Etre moderne features masterworks by artists including Max Beckmann, Alexander Calder, Paul Cézanne, Marcel Duchamp, Walker Evans, Jasper Johns, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Gustav Klimt, Yayoi Kusama, René Magritte, Pablo Picasso, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Yvonne Rainer, Frank Stella, and Paul Signac. A selection of rarely shown documentary material from MoMA’s Archives will be incorporated in the galleries, tracing the history of the Museum and contextualizing the works.” — MoMA
Paul Signac (French, 1863–1935). Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890. 1890. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Fractional gift of Mr. and Mrs. David Rockefeller. © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
Constantin Brancusi (French, born Romania. 1876–1957). Bird in Space. 1928. Bronze, 54 x 8 1/2 x 6 1/2″ (137.2 x 21.6 x 16.5 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Given anonymously, 1934. © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
Ellsworth Kelly (American, 1923–2015). Colors for a Large Wall. 1951. Oil on canvas, sixty‑four panels, 7′ 10 1/2″ x 7′ 10 1/2″ (240 x 240 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the artist, 1969. © 2017 Ellsworth Kelly
OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) (Dutch, established 1975). Welfare Palace Hotel Project, Roosevelt Island, New York, New York. 1976. Gouache on paper, 51 x 40 1/2″ (129.5 x 102.9 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of The Howard Gilman Foundation. 1209.2000. © 2017 Rem Koolhaas
Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, born 1929). Accumulation No. 1. 1962. Sewn stuffed fabric, paint, and chair fringe, 37 x 39 x 43″ (94 x 99.1 x 109.2 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of William B. Jaffe and Evelyn A. J. Hall (by exchange), 2012. © 2017 Yayoi Kusama
Cindy Sherman (American, born 1954). Untitled Film Still #21. 1978. Gelatin silver print, 7 1/2 x 9 1/2″ (19.1 x 24.1 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Horace W. Goldsmith Fund through Robert B. Menschel, 1995 © 2017 Cindy Sherman
Bruce Nauman (American, born 1941). Human/Need/Desire. 1983. Neon tubing and wire with glass tubing suspension frames, 7′ 10 3/8″ x 70 1/2″ x 25 3/4″ (239.8 x 179 x 65.4 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Emily and Jerry Spiegel, 1991 © 2017 Bruce Nauman/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Rirkrit Tiravanija (Thai, born Argentina 1961). untitled (the days of this society is numbered / December 7, 2012). 2014. Synthetic polymer paint and newspaper on linen, 87 x 84 1/2″ (221 x 214.6 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Committee on Drawings and Prints Fund, 2014. © 2017 Rirkrit Tiravanija
“With Etre moderne, we hope to provide a history of modern art through the lens of MoMA’s ever-evolving collection,” said Quentin Bajac, The Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief Curator of Photography at MoMA. “From iconic works by artists such as Cézanne to contemporary works by designers such as Shigetaka Kurita, the exhibition exemplifies how MoMA’s collection has shaped the public’s definition of modern art and continues to challenge our interpretation of it.”
Etre moderne: Le MoMA à Paris is co-organized by The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Fondation Louis Vuitton, under the direction of Glenn Lowry (Director, The Museum of Modern Art) and Suzanne Pagé (Artistic Director, Fondation Louis Vuitton). The exhibition is curated by Quentin Bajac (The Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief Curator of Photography, MoMA), assisted by Katerina Stathopoulou (Assistant Curator, MoMA), with Olivier Michelon (Curator, Fondation Louis Vuitton). The archival section is organized by Michelle Elligott (Chief of Archives, MoMA).
Images courtesy The Museum of Modern Art.