The Bourse de Commerce, in the heart of Paris, became recently a testament to the glory of François Pinault / a monument to the glory of modern Art (delete as applicable). The architect Tadao Ando was put in charge of transforming the historic building and I must say, the result is just splendid! Pinault’s passion for contemporary art has led to the assembly of a large collection of some young artists and the century-old building is the perfect repository of large paintings, pieces of art and photographic series. I particularly enjoyed the 2012 series of 18 portraits by Sherrie Levine “After August Sandler” and the 1974 series of Michel Journiac “24 hours of the life of an ordinary woman”, was totally indifferent of the Helms Amendment series and amused by the large colour photographs of Richard Prince, reproducing the too (in)famous advertising campaign of a major American cigarette company. What impressions remain after this visit? Does Pinault deserve the place he aspires to? Can money buy everything? Will he remain in history as a modern Medici? I do not know but at least, this temple to trade, epitomising the glory of France at the peak of its power did deserve to be be preserved in the most magnificent way, and only history will tell if Levine, Prince and Journiac get a place at the Walhalla of photography.
