A world of contemporary art disguised a parking lot, the Palais De Tokyo amswers to contemporary art post-Pompidou. Housed next to the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Vile de Paris in an Art Deco building provided for Paris' International Exhibition in 1937, the space was with art critics Nicolas Bourriaud and Jerome Sans as co-ddirectors, creating a serious stir in the art world.
Architects Anne Lacation and Jean-Phillipe Vassalgave gave the then-direct building a much needed facelift in 2001 for the price of 4 million Euros, creating a sprawling and open exhibition space.
The architecture of the museum, which style is often associated with facist regime looks cold and strict but at the same time love is boldness, the sheer scale and the minimalism The interior too, with its concrete spaces with industrial and "unfinished" warehouse feel has become design statement. The lack of stiff formality from such an interior, along with the street graffiti and striker decoration makes it perfect for displaying contemporary art without the pretentiousness of the usual highly polished "white box" type galleries.
With no permanent collection and few solo exhibitions, the museum encourages creativity through short-term group exhibitions and jam packed agenda filled with lecture series, workshops, performance and on-side radio station. It can at times feel more like the world's most cutting-edge cultural mall, with a self-service restaurant, library and shop, as well as its midnight closing time.
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