Ten years after his death, an exhibition of the French sculptor known for his radical compressions (compacted cars, discarded metal or rubbish), expansions (polyurethane foam sculptures) and fantastic representations of animals and insects.


César (César Baldaccini) was born in his father’s bar in Marseilles in 1921 and after attending art school and winning various prizes started attracting serious attention in the 1960s with his compressed works of art made with a hydraulic press. Often using cheap materials and scrap metal, he once said “I am fundamentally an absolute autodidact.”

Jean Nouvel is not only a world-famous architect – and indeed the architect of the Fondation Cartier itself – he was also a friend of César. They shared a love for the immaterial and the minimal. César was also one the first artist to expose at the Fondation Cartier when it was created in 1984. It seems fitting then that the Fondation Cartier be the setting for this new extensive exhibition, ordered not chronologically but by genre.

There are also some pretty bizarre events happening around the exhibition, such as…

César Salads – The team from the Transversal restaurant will be preparing five different snacks to taste, each related to one of the works of art! (Wednesday 9th, Thursday 10th, Wednesday 16th, Thursday 17th July at 9pm).
The world’s biggest candy floss – This will be created in the gardens, under the watchful eye of the Guiness Book of Records! (Sunday 20th July at 3pm)
César/Tati – Macha Makeïeff will mix sound recordings and film extracts combining César and his friend Jacques Tati (Wednesday 3rd, Thursday 4th September at 8.30pm and 9.30pm. Duration: 20 minutes).
eRikm & FM Eniheit – a cut ‘n’ paste / recycled sounds concerts with one of the founding members of Einstürzende Neubauten (Thursday 16th October at 9pm).

… and there’s plenty more on offer.

Here’s all the essential information you need for the César exhibition at the Fondation Cartier

When: 8th July – 26th October 2008
Where: Fondation Cartier, 261 boulevard Raspail, Paris 14th arrondissement. Métro Raspail or Denfert-Rochereau (lines 4 & 6)
Opening hours: every day except Mondays, 11am – 8pm. Late night opening on Tuesdays until 10pm
Entrance fee: 8 euros
More info: Fondation Cartier site

Bigger map here