Paris museums: 5 reasons to visit the Centre Pompidou

Visiting Paris soon? Get a fresh take on Parisian art museums at the Centre Pompidou. Recently reopened after a lengthy renovation, the Centre Pompidou was founded by the Former French President Georges Pompidou as a public place for all forms of Modern art. The museum’s rotation has included works from Salvador Dalí, Edvard Munch, Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Jackson Pollock and more, with a constant influx of newer works from up-and-coming contemporary artists. 

5 Reasons you should visit the Centre Pompidou

The building itself

Just as modern on the outside as it is on the inside, the Centre Pompidou is housed in a building you will not soon forget. Created by Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano in the 1970s, the building’s brightly colored, ultra-modern design “turned the world upside down,” setting the precedent for museums to be a works of art themselves, instead of silent mausoleums showcasing the world’s masterpieces. To the untrained eye, the museum vaguely resembles a cross between a hamster maze and a warehouse. It is however, at second sight, quite complex, mesmerizing, and undoubtedly unforgettable.

The largest collection of Modern Art in Paris

The museum not only features well-known masterpieces by the likes of Picasso, Duchamp, and Miró, but those of 5,000 other artists as well. Explore the history of Cubism, Surrealism, Fauvism and Abstract Expressionism with over 50,000 works of late 19th-20th century art spread over 5 acres. If you’re not already exhausted from walking around the Louvre or climbing the Eiffel Tower, the Centre Pompidou will certainly give you a workout!

A “World’s Best” bathroom

In addition to its collection of priceless modern art, the Centre Pompidou contains one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 contenders for “World’s Best Bathroom.” Okay, “bathroom” might be a bit of a stretch: the museum features a single urinal-turned-masterpiece. The work, entitled “Fountain,” was developed in New York in the 1910s by Marcel Duchamp, father of the anti-art movement. Not only is it the most expensive urinal in the world, but it is also one of the most expensive pieces of art in the world. When it comes to Duchamp’s work, apparently one man’s toilet is another man’s treasure.

The celebration of an American architect in Paris

Love Frank Gehry? Then this fall might be the perfect time to visit Paris. The man who designed the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is now the talk of Paris as his very first retrospective opens at the Centre Pompidou. To top it all off, one of Frank Gehry’s very own designs, the Louis Vuitton Foundation, just had its grand opening Monday.

The opportunity to see a different side of Paris

Most visit Paris to witness the masterpieces of the Rodins, Van Goghs, Monets, and Renoirs of the past. But although these well-known works bring us to Paris, the Parisian art scene didn’t end 100 years ago. Paris still thrives as a center of all things artistic, evident in the city’s architecture, galleries, fashion, and of course, collections of contemporary art. 

Want to learn more about Paris museums?

See page 14 of the Explorica 2014 Fall Catalog below.

Want to visit the Centre Pompidou?

Just customize any of our Paris tours online to add a visit to the Centre Pompidou.

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