Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain opens its doors to the public

The Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain is a space for artistic dialogue and experimentation that places the relationship between creation and exhibition at the heart of its institutional project, working in close collaboration with artists. Since its creation in 1984 by Alain Dominique Perrin, then-President of Maison Cartier, it has exhibited artists from all walks of life, breaking down barriers between practices and fields of thought.

Built over the years through a groundbreaking international programme, the Fondation's collection reflects its multidisciplinary nature and the breadth of themes addressed in direct connection with contemporary issues. The Fondation Cartier carries out its activities and commitments with the ambition of making contemporary creation accessible to as many people as possible. Through exhibition projects and a programme of encounters and debates, performances, and lectures, it creates bridges between places of creation and fosters a genuine space for multicultural dialogue.

In Paris, in October 2025, the Fondation Cartier opened its new site at 2 Place du Palais-Royal, in the heart of the capital, right across from the Louvre. Housed in a Haussmannian building dating from 1855, the interior has been entirely reimagined by architect Jean Nouvel. The dynamic architecture consists of five platforms adjustable to eleven different heights, allowing for numerous combinations of volumes, verticalities, and modulations of light, multiplying the possibilities for programming.

With 8,500 square metres of space accessible to the public, including 6,500 square metres of exhibition space, the architecture acts as a scenographic device serving a wide spectrum of visual arts, photography, film, craft, performance, live shows, and science. More than just scenographic propositions, these spaces explore their social potential as places for exchange and sharing. In keeping with contemporary issues related to landscape, urbanism, and ecology, the Fondation Cartier will be an actor in its neighbourhood and city, with its very architecture imbued with the history and context of Paris.