On October 20, members of the art and fashion world came together to celebrate the inauguration of Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. President of France, Francois Hollande led the inaugural ceremony of the new Frank Gehry-designed building located in Paris’ Bois de Boulogne.
Fondation Louis Vuitton is dedicated to showcasing contemporary art to a global audience to promote creative dialogue. Ever since Jean-Paul Claverie joined LVMH in 1991, LVMH has become one of France’s leading patrons of the arts. They not only provide support for cultural heritage programs, but also promote youth outreach and humanitarian efforts. Due to their cultural involvement, LVMH began exploring the idea of creating an institution that could provide the public with insight into their commitment to art and culture. After years of planning, their idea finally comes to fruition through Fondation Louis Vuitton.
In choosing Gehry to design the Fondation’s venue, President of Fondation Louis Vuitton Bernard Arnault explained that, “I knew he would meet the challenge of designing an amazing monument of 21st century architecture… His building is a veritable masterpiece and is itself the subject of the exhibition on the ground floor of the Fondation, designed specially for the opening by Frederic Migayrou to offer insights into this remarkable work.”
For the opening exhibition, Fondation Louis Vuitton will display architectural works as well as pieces from the permanent collection, which includes artists and architects such as Frank Gehry, Gerhard Richter, Pierre Huyghe, Christian Boltanski, Ellsworth Kelly, Olafur Eliasson, and Sarah Morris.
Following the inauguration, notable guests like JW Anderson, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Karl Lagerfeld, Phoebe Philo, Raf Simons, and Riccardo Tisci were invited to attend the illumination of the building designed by Herve Descottes. Renowned opera singer Natalie Dessay performed Sergei Rachmaninov’s Vocalise with the accompaniment of her cellist Henri Demarquette.
Afterwards, guests enjoyed a dinner by chef Jean-Louis Nomicos, Director of the Foundation’s restaurant, Le Frank, in the Foundation’s Auditorium.
