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The Amis du Centre Pompidou

Robert Delaunay, Formes circulaires, Soleil n° 2, 1912.
Gift of the Société des Amis du Musée national d'art moderne, 1961.
© Centre Pompidou, MANM-CCI/ Dist.RMN-GP

Creation of the association under the name of the Société des Amis du Luxembourg. The first mission, inscribed in the statutes of the Société des Amis du Luxembourg, was to “contribute to the enrichment of the Musée du Luxembourg”. As of 1905, it made significant donations of works and supported the Museum in its acquisition policy. 

Creation of the association

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Composition A.XX, 1924.
Gift of the Société des Amis du Musée national d'art moderne, 1962.
© Centre Pompidou, MANM-CCI/ Dist.RMN-GP

Charles Pacquement, Chair of the Société from 1924 to 1950, had the association legally recognised as being in the public interest. At the same time, he founded the Association des Amis des Artistes Vivants who support contemporary creation and organised, in addition, exhibitions of the artworks acquired. This association was eventually merged into the Société des Amis du Luxembourg.

The association was acknowledged as “in the public interest”

Le Corbusier, Fauteuil B 301, 1928.
Gift of the Société des Amis du Musée national d'art moderne, 2000.
© Centre Pompidou, MANM-CCI/ Dist.RMN-GP

In 1947, the Musée National d'Art Moderne was inaugurated, combining the collections of the Musée du Luxembourg and those of the Jeu de Paume. The Société des Amis du Luxembourg thus became the Société des Amis du Musée National d’Art Moderne.

The association became the Société des Amis du Musée National d’Art Moderne

Roberto Rossellini in 1977, on the set of Beaubourg, centre d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou, his last film. Courtesy Fondation Genesium, Jacques Grandclaude © d.r

The donations from the Société des Amis du MNAM were transferred to the new building of the Centre Pompidou, except for the artworks created by artists born prior to 1870, which were integrated within the collections of the Musée d’Orsay.

Inauguration of the Centre Pompidou

Sylvie Boissonnas, Chair of the association, 1980

With the complicity of Dominique Bozo, Director of the Musée National d'Art Moderne, Sylvie Boissonnas initiated a new action: the “Parallel Collection”, bringing together artworks chosen by one or two members each year between 1984 and 1991. Most became part of the collections of the Musée National d'Art Moderne.

Sylvie Boissonnas, Chair of the Association

Hélène David-Weill, Chair of the association, 1987

Under the helm of Hélène David-Weill, objects were created, designed especially by artists and published by the association.

Hélène David-Weill, Chair of the Association

François Trèves, Chair of the association, 1995

François Trèves, Chair of the Association

First acquisition of the Projet pour l’Art Contemporain : Ernesto Neto, We stopped just here at the time, 2002. Gift of the Société des Amis du Musée national d'art moderne, 2002. © Centre Pompidou, MANM-CCI/ Dist.RMN-GP

The PAC fell within the framework of the museum’s policy of research and prospection, seeking to retain the most meaningful works of contemporary creation. The committee – which had seventeen members in 2002 – with the complicity of the museum’s director, Alfred Pacquement, curators involved in the project chose new acquisitions to enhance the museum’s collections and provided justification for their decisions. In 2016, the PAC became the Groupe d’Acquisition pour l’Art Contemporain. It has about fifty members: art lovers and collectors.

Creation of the Projet pour l’Art Contemporain (PAC)

Gala Dinner of the Amis du Centre Pompidou, 2017. © Jonathan Levy

To celebrate the centenary of the Société des Amis du Musée National d’Art Moderne, a Gala Dinner was held in the modern art galleries of the museum. The Friends’ Gala Dinner, with proceeds put towards the collections of the Musée National d’Art Moderne, became an annual tradition in 2006.

The first Amis’ Gala Dinner of the Musée National d’Art Moderne

Fisrt acquisition of the Perspective group : Denis Darzacq, La Chute, n°1, 2007. Gift of the Société des Amis du Musée national d'art moderne, 2007. © Centre Pompidou, MANM-CCI/ Dist.RMN-GP

The members of Perspective are young patrons under 40. They enjoy a programme of visits and excursions dedicated to them, in the evening, in digital format, and on weekends.

Création du groupe Perspective

Jacques Boissonnas, Chair of the Association, 2011

Jacques Boissonnas, Chair of the Association

Khalil Rabah, Untitled, All is Well,2017. Acier, fibre de verre, résine, tissu, 160 x 65 x 60 cm. Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI, Paris. Gift of Robert Matta, IC-Middle East North Africa, 2018. Courtesy de l’artiste et Sfeir-Semler Beirut/Hamburg. © Centre Pompidou, MNAM – CCI/Ph. Migeat/Dist.RMN-GP.

In response to the opening of the collections of the Musée national d’art modern toward international artists and artworks, the Amis initiate a dynamic of openness towards patrons across the globe. Today, the International Circle has nine chapter representing nine regions of the world. 

Creation of the International Circle

Didier Grumbach, Chair of the association, 2014 © Bertrand Rindoff / Getty

Didier Grumbach, Chair of the Association

First acquisition of the GAP: Aneta Grzeszykowska, photographies from the serie Selfie, 2014. Gift of the Société des Amis du Musée national d'art moderne, 2015. © Centre Pompidou, MANM-CCI/ Dist.RMN-GP

The acquisition group dedicated to the enrichment of the collections of historical and contemporary photographs was created on the occasion of the opening of the photography gallery at the Musée National d'Art Moderne. The artworks acquired are presented in the framework of the programming of the photography gallery.

Creation of the Acquisition Group for Photography

First acquisition of the GAP: STUDIO GGSV, Objet trou noir, 2011. Gift of the Société des Amis du Musée national d'art moderne, 2016. © Centre Pompidou, MANM-CCI/ Dist.RMN-GP Dist.RMN-GP

An acquisition group for design was created for the Pierre Paulin exhibition at the Centre Pompidou. The members of the Acquisition Group for Design contribute to the enhancement of the design collection and industrial prospective of the museum both at the historical and prospective levels. The creation of this acquisition group follows the institution’s transdisciplinary policy

Creation of the Acquisition Group for Design

The Société des Amis du Musée National d'Art Moderne became the Amis du Centre Pompidou. It federates around nine hundred members.

Léopold Meyer, Chair of the Association

You x Art x Centre Pompidou, 2017 © Servan Edern Ilyne

For the 40 Years of the Centre Pompidou, the Amis du Centre Pompidou held, during FIAC, You × Art × Centre Pompidou, a magical evening in honour of the donors and patrons of the institution.

You × Art × Centre Pompidou

Thomas Müller, Untitled, 2016.
Gift of the Amis du Centre Pompidou, IC– Europe, 2017

The IC-Latin America, IC-Central Europe, IC-Europe, and IC-Asia Pacific were created. 

Creation of four new chapters within the International Circle (IC)

The Amis du Centre Pompidou sign an agreement with the American Friends, the two facilities share the same programmes.

Agreement between the Friends of the Centre Pompidou and the American Friends

LF Photographic archive 104d, Lars Fredrikson in his studio, Antibes, c. 1980 (courtesy Lars Fredrikson - estate). Gift of the Amis du Centre Pompidou, Mission Recherche, 2019

The goal of Mission Recherche is to support research projects by young researchers oriented towards acquisition perspectives through field studies, the study of archives, and the creation of original interviews or translations. The researcher works under the direction of a curator. Each year between one and three research grants are funded. 

Creation of Mission Recherche

Hassan Musa, Suzanne et les vieillards (on butterflies and bananas), from the series Suzanne et les vieillards, 2007. Gift of the Amis du Centre Pompidou, Cercle International - Afrique, 2020

Creation of the Africa and North America chapters within the International Circle

Chanel Fund for Women in Arts & Culture joins the Amis du Centre Pompidou 
 with an Acquisition Fund dedicated to women artists.

Creation of the   Chanel Fund for Women in Arts & Culture Acquisition Funds

The Amis du Centre Pompidou create the Foundation of Friends of the Centre Pompidou hosted by Fondation Mansart.

Foundation of the Centre Pompidou

Floriane de Saint Pierre, Chair of the Association

Bonpoint joined the Amis du Centre Pompidou with the creation of an acquisition Fund dedicated to children’s furniture and games. 

Creation of the Bonpoint Acquisition Funds

Joseph Duclos joined the Amis du Centre Pompidou with the creation of an Acquisition Fund dedicated to multidisciplinary works with Light as their theme. 

Creation of the Joseph Duclos Acquisition Fund

Artis joined the Amis du Centre Pompidou with the creation of a Research and Acquisition Fund dedicated to artists from the Israeli scene. 

Creation of an Artis Research and Acquisition Fund

Following the Bruno Decharme donation, the Centre Pompidou’s collection became a reference in Art Brut on an international scale. By supporting the programme of Art Brut research, the Amis committed to the long-term development of the knowledge of Art Brut artists within a museum institution.

Creation of a research committee dedicated to Art Brut

To strengthen the presence of artists from the French scene of the 50s – 80s in the contemporary collections of the Musée National d'Art Moderne. The Amis accompany curators on an adventure of rediscovery, on the trail of a heritage that is only partly known.

Creation of the Acquisition Group for the French Scene of the 50s – 80s

Our key dates

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Les Amis du Centre Pompidou

Nos acquisitions

In 2023, the Amis du Centre Pompidou are celebrating the 120th anniversary of the association. 

For more than a century, the Amis have continuously enriched the collections 

of the Musée National d'Art Moderne and contributed to their impact both nationally and internationally. 

Over one thousand works have entered the collections thanks to the Amis’ commitment, making the association 

of the Amis du Centre Pompidou the primary patron of the Musée National d'Art Moderne.

In 2002, the first acquisition group dedicated to the contemporary scene was launched. 

Today the Amis du Centre Pompidou have brought together eighteen dedicated 

thematic and geographic acquisition committees.

In 2022, more than one hundred and fifty artworks joined the national collections and five research grants were supported by the Amis, who enjoy a richly diverse and exclusive programme of visits and cultural excursions in France and abroad. 

These represent all kinds of privileged moments to meet with the key figures in the contemporary and modern art scene.