The Fondation Louis Vuitton’s show of African art featuring works from Jean Pigozzi’s massive 10,000-work collection built over 30 years has generated a great deal of interest in art from the continent. In the press surrounding the event, Pigozzi has begun to muse on the fate of his life’s work and lamented that few have followed his example:
In an interview with the French website Le Quotidien de l’Art, Pigozzi outlines his vision for a foundation, saying: “It would be sad if 30 years of work disappeared, and the 10,000-strong collection was dispersed, if I were to fall under a taxi one day in London. It is still incredible that neither the Museum of Modern Art, nor Beaubourg [the Centre Pompidou in Paris], nor the Metropolitan Museum of Art have a department of contemporary African art. In five years’ time, I want to create an [operational] space in Europe.”
Venture capitalist Jean Pigozzi plans foundation to house huge contemporary African art collection (The Art Newspaper)