[Business News] 'Pompidou Center' Coming to 63 Building

French President Georges Pompidou's Plan
1979 Dali Exhibition by Eccentric Artist Draws Record Visitors
Branch Opening Scheduled for Fall 2025

A branch of the Pompidou Centre, representing contemporary French art, will be established in the 63 Building in Yeouido, Seoul. The Pompidou Centre is considered one of the three major art museums in France, along with the Louvre and Orsay.

According to the French daily Le Monde on the 16th, the Pompidou Centre plans to open a branch in Seoul aiming for fall 2025. Le Monde reported that the Pompidou Centre is pursuing a plan to receive 20 million euros (approximately 28 billion KRW) over four years from the Hanwha Foundation (Hanwha Cultural Foundation) on the condition of using the name "Pompidou Centre." A Hanwha Group official said, "It is true that we are in discussions with the Pompidou side, but nothing has been decided yet." However, the art community views that an agreement has essentially been reached between both parties, with only the official announcement remaining.

The Pompidou Centre was opened in February 1977, conceived by French President Georges Pompidou. It was designed by architects Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano.

Exterior view of the Centre Pompidou in Paris [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Pompidou Centre is known for exposing its colorful steel framework, leading to evaluations that the museum itself is a work of art. It is built on the Beaubourg hill and is also called Beaubourg. It is a complex cultural space housing a modern and contemporary art museum and a public library, establishing itself as an iconic symbol of 20th-century modern architecture.

It holds over 60,000 pieces including collections by Matisse, Chagall, and Picasso, with works regularly rotated for exhibition. It offers various programs that allow the public to participate directly, such as meetings with artists. Additionally, it provides diverse programs including galleries for children.

Photo of Salvador Dal? [Image source=Yonhap News]

The exhibition that attracted the most visitors was Salvador Dal?’s exhibition in 1979, which drew 840,000 visitors. Dal? was a Spanish eccentric painter and a leading figure of 20th-century Surrealism. He referred to himself as both a god and a genius and actively collaborated with film production companies. He is recognized for actively enhancing his brand value through media, influencing contemporary artists like Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons.

Besides Paris, the Pompidou Centre has branches in Metz, France; Malaga, Spain; and Brussels, Belgium, and in 2019, it opened its first Asian branch in Shanghai.