Fondation Cartier

Overview

Designed by master architect Jean Nouvel, the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain is a spectacular, modern art space in the 14th arrondissement. It is globally renowned for its radical, transparent glass architecture and eclectic contemporary art exhibitions.

Highlights

• The Architecture: The building is essentially a massive, ethereal glass box that blurs the line between the indoor exhibition spaces and the dense, wild garden outside.
• The Exhibitions: It famously champions artists outside the mainstream, hosting massive, immersive shows focusing on everything from Amazonian indigenous art to global mathematics and Japanese photography.
• The Garden: The 'Theatrum Botanicum' surrounding the building is a deliberately wild, overgrown woodland created by artist Lothar Baumgarten, standing in sharp contrast to the sleek glass.

History

Founded in 1984 by the luxury jewelry house Cartier as a pioneering act of corporate arts patronage. It moved to this spectacular, purpose-built glass building in 1994 on the exact site where Chateaubriand (the famous 19th-century writer) once lived. You can still find his original cedar tree planted in the wild garden.

Visitor Tips

• Exhibitions: Do not expect a permanent collection of Cartier jewelry! The exhibitions change every few months and are conceptual. Check what is showing before visiting.
• Tours: They offer excellent, informative architectural tours that explain the staggering engineering behind Nouvel's giant glass screens.
• : 1–1.5 hours.