Art Insight #26: Serge Lasvignes

Q. The Centre Pompidou, created in 1977, is the first multi-cultural institution in the world. It is considered the most innovative public cultural project of the 20th century. What are the fundamental objectives and values of the Centre Pompidou?

The ultimate aim of the Centre Pompidou is to de-compartmentalize artistic disciplines. This very multidisciplinary approach allows us to gather and bring together modern art, contemporary creations, literature, cinema, music, dance, architecture and all cultural expressions. The second objective is to present contemporary art that truly leads to creation. It is a dialogue between the institution and the artists. The Centre Pompidou supports artists and works as a place in which artists feel at home and find each other. And the third objective is the democratization of culture. It is a tradition of André Malraux. We are open and accessible to all.

Q. The Centre Pompidou has cooperated with many companies. In your opinion, what is the ideal form of cooperation between cultural arts institutions and corporations?

Business is an essential determinant of the collective society. The Centre Pompidou is a museum open to society, and opening up to society means encountering corporations. Our vocation is to open up with a realistic approach. After that, all depends on the way of relationship building. It is about how a relationship can lead to a project. It is not a matter of letting the Pompidou program be decided by a company. On the other hand, the company can participate and collaborate with a project. They can propose ideas and participate in the production of an exhibition, a symposium or a conference, which we are passionate about at the moment.

Q. What is the future of the Center Pompidou like? Could you tell us about upcoming projects?

The Centre Pompidou wants to avoid all types of standardization. We do not want to be a museum like any other. My ideal is to cultivate and preserve the originality of the Centre Pompidou, that is to say, pluri-disciplinarity, openness to society, and the development of intellectual life. It is both our original identity as well as our purpose. And our current challenge is digital technology. I would like to use digital technology to establish a new relationship—more constant, more interactive, and more participative—between visitors and the institution. For this relationship, we are opening a school of contemporary art on the Internet this fall. The annual <Mutation-Creation> event concerning the intersection of art, science and technology will also take place in the upcoming years. ■ with ARTINPOST

Serge Lasvignes was born in Toulouse, France in 1954. He holds an agrégation in literature and is a former student of the École nationale d’administration (class of 1989). Beginning his career at the Conseil d’État, he went on to become Director of General and International Affairs and Cooperation at the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education, Research and Professional Integration from 1995 to 1996, before becoming Director of Legal Affairs at the same ministry from 1996 to 1997. He was subsequently made Director at the General Secretariat of the Government (1997-2006) before becoming General Secretary of the Government from 2006 to 2015. Serge Lasvignes is President and CEO of the Centre national d’art et de culture Georges Pompidou, and President of the Boards of the Bibliothèque publique d’information (Bpi), the Institut de recherche et coordination acoustique/musique (Ircam) as well as that of the Centre Pompidou-Metz since April 2015.