The Centre Pompidou in Paris will launch a major off-site culture programme, encompassing 50 exhibitions and events across 40 towns in France, to mark its 40th anniversary next January.
“Many local and regional cultural institutions and organisations have responded positively to our proposal to participate in the 40th anniversary [initiative],” says Serge Lasvignes, the president of the Centre Pompidou. “This anniversary is our way of bringing the Centre Pompidou to both longstanding and new audiences.”
The Musée Fabre in Montpellier will present a joint exhibition of works by Francis Bacon and Bruce Nauman (1 July-5 November) as part of the anniversary project; the 60-piece show includes around 10 works drawn from the Centre Pompidou.
Meanwhile, works by Alexander Calder and Cerith Wyn Evans from the Pompidou’s collection will be included in the Biennale de Lyon (20 September-31 December 2017) as part of the anniversary project. The 14th edition of the biennial will be curated by Emma Lavigne, the director of the Centre Pompidou-Metz.
Among the other events due to launch this year will be Kandinsky, the Paris Years (29 October-29 January 2017) at the Musée de Grenoble. The Centre Pompidou will lend 60 works as well as archive material from its Kandinsky library. Dance and theatre performances will also be held in association with festivals such as the DañsFabrik in Brest and Les Subsistances in Lyons.
Audrey Azoulay, the French culture secretary, says in a statement that on “31 January 1977, a bold cultural establishment opened its doors in the heart of Paris. It was a unique combination: a museum, a place for special events, a cinema and conference space, and a library. Since its launch, the Centre Pompidou has given us another vision for culture which is multidisciplinary, arouses curiosity and throws new light on society today.”
• For more information on the events taking place, see www.centrepompidou40ans.fr