Pinault collection, Emotions in the round

Passionate collector François Pinault has had fun creating this display with artists, building up references and playing on appearances, especially proportions. Ryan Gander’s surprising and mischievous little white mouse in front of the elevators, for example, fixes us in its gaze, as Philippe Parreno illuminates the Paris sky like a lighthouse from the top of the Medici column on rue de Viarmes. The exhibition is also in resonance with its time, bringing together two hundred works by some thirty artists, including Maurizio Cattelan, David Hammons, and Xinyi Cheng. “Opening” is the symbol of a new phase, as in an opera, sketching the broad themes of the future through a program that expresses a desire for openness to the world and its audiences, like works acquired throughout a lifetime. Visitors may wish to start their visit with the spectacular Rotunda, the backdrop to Thomas Schütte’s incredible installation of nine wax sculptures, including a life-size replica of Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women. Alternatively, head for the Passage and its twenty-four period display cases filled with motorbikes and other works by Bertrand Lavier. Gallery 3, devoted to photography, showcases a series of unique works by six socially engaged artists including Michel Journiac, Louise Lawler, Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman, while on the upper floor don’t miss the extraordinary display of paintings and sculptures by Peter Doig, Ser Serpas, Rudolf Stingel, Claire Tabouret, Luc Tuymans, Marlène Dumas, and many others.