Art Insight #23: Jean de Loisy

Q. You have been the President of the Palais de Tokyo since 2011. Compared with other art and culture institutions including museums and galleries, what is the most distinctive feature of the Palais de Tokyo?

We always have artists in the Palais de Tokyo. It is a place for artists, filled with wonders created by them. It is also a space where our lives take place. You can have lunch, listen to electronic music, or see various exhibitions and performances in the museum. It is a joyful place where you can do all of those things on the same day. The Palais de Tokyo is also a place of ruins. We can keep changing the place, and that is why the Palais de Tokyo is actually changing every single day. No two days look alike here. I think that’s the most singular feature that separates the Palais de Tokyo from other art and culture institutions.

Q. The Palais de Tokyo has done many collaboration works via 42 partnerships with about 100 corporations and brands (as of 2015). The museum was also chosen by the 2014 European Cultural Brands Awards as the most innovative cultural brand. What is your opinion on collaboration between art and corporations?

I think collaboration between art and corporations, which is very active today, is very important and necessary. Corporations have the expertise and management strategies in other sectors that can help us, the art sector, by offering new points of view and helping us understand the society better. Financial collaboration between companies and art is crucial. In our case, about 65 percent of the total budget is covered by the collaboration between corporations along with revenue from the restaurant and bookstore, which allows us to build an autonomous and independent management system. Unlike other national museums or art galleries, the Palais de Tokyo is a business and an independent brand owned by Ville de Paris. Like other companies, we have to strive for the continuous growth of the Palais de Tokyo. For these reasons, the Palais de Tokyo is not only confined to the art and culture sector, but launching various activities to expand toward other areas. These days, many contemporary artists have a great interest in companies and brands. There are also many corporations that want to discover and support talented artists. Through the collaboration between art and corporations, we could find a new form of creation. It could also give us an opportunity to discover new audiences and artists.

Q. Lastly, any words of advice for young artists and curators?

Contraire à ce qu’il faut faire, contraire à ce que les autres font— You should object to what people think they should do. You should be against what other people do. ■ with ARTINPOST

An art critic and curator born in France, Jean de Loisy graduated from the École du Louvre, which is a higher education establishment operated under the French Ministry of Culture. From 1983 to 1986, he has been the director of the Regional Contemporary Art Fund(Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain, FRAC) of Pays de la Loire, founding an association of FRAC directors during his term. From 1986 to 1988, when Jacques Chirac served as the Prime Minister, Jean de Loisy worked for the Ministry of Culture to perform duties related to contemporary interpretation of historic monuments and cultural assets. From 1989 to 1991, he managed exhibition planning at Carré d’Art at Nîmes. Jean de Loisy worked as a curator at the Fondation Cartier in 1990 and at the Centre Pompidou from 1994 to 1997. He has been the President of Palais de Tokyo since 2011. He served as the artistic director of the 2016 Nuit Blanche.