Palais de Tokyo

The Richard Mille brand was created to intentionally break the rules of Fine Watchmaking. By highlighting unparalleled expertise and uncompromising standards while asserting the modernity of almost minimalist lines, Richard Mille has succeeded in breaking out of the box and inventing a distinctive aesthetic. By releasing new models unburdened by certain aspects of watchmaking heritage, he has been able to transmit his passion to a demanding clientele, just like the high-level athletes who wear his creations. The brand’s independent spirit, coupled with its high-tech Swiss production, has catapulted it to the cutting-edge of the exclusive and tight-knit world of Fine Watchmaking. This partnership was a first for the Palais de Tokyo, but now seems self-evident. By committing to supporting this prestigious and innovative institution, Richard Mille intends to ensure that the artistic flame of the French capital continues to burn bright.

At the Palais de Tokyo, there is a general consensus that ‘disruption and invention go hand in hand and, in matters of art, oddly enough, they are wielded with great precision. Artists do their utmost to conduct precise investigations of a somewhat stifling world, inventing new languages and opening new horizons. Often, these possibilities are to be found well off the beaten path of their milieu.’

The Palais de Tokyo is unlike any other cultural venue in Paris, as it has no collections. It is a centre for modern art and a vibrant, experimental platform dedicated to contemporary creation that puts France and Europe at the forefront. Ever since it opened in 2002, the Palais de Tokyo has striven to rewrite the rulebook with radically different opening times to Paris’s other cultural institutions. It plays host to a broad range of media, encompassing disciplines such as dance, film, video and more. Over the past two decades, its independent spirit, impressive engagement with huge audiences (300,000 visitors a year) and major large-scale exhibitions have put the Palais de Tokyo firmly on the world map.

By employing its enormous gallery space of 22,000 square metres to put on exhibitions dedicated to longstanding artists, pulling them back into the spotlight—such as the show of Julio le Parc’s work in 2012—and to give the younger generation, such as Camille Henrot, Jean-Jacques Lebel and Kader Attia or Neil Beloufa an opportunity to express themselves on an epic scale, the Palais de Tokyo asserts itself as a driving force and active player in the French cultural landscape.