Past Exhibition  15.06.2021 – 30.09.2021

Exhibition news in museums

Matisse Museum in Nice

Pierre Matisse. An art dealer in New York. Poster of the exhibition of the Matisse Museum. Reserved rights

The Matisse Museum in Nice (France) has opened on June 11th 2021 the exhibition entitled “Pierre Matisse. Un marchand d’art à New York” (Pierre Matisse. An art dealer in New York). It will be presented until September 30th 2021.

The son of the painter Henri Matisse, Pierre Matisse (1900-1989) settles in New York in 1924 where he opens his own gallery in 1931. He will become one of the leading figures of American art world. The famous Pierre Matisse Gallery will defend French and European modern art in the United States and ensure its strong presence in prominent American museums and collections.

Among the artists championed by the gallery, there is of course Henri Matisse but also Georges Rouault, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Balthus, Yves Tanguy, Marc Chagall, Matta, Wilfredo Lam, Jean Dubuffet, Alberto Giacometti, Rufino Tamayo.

Since the mid 1950’s, the gallery will also exhibit younger artists such as Jean-Paul Riopelle, Manolo Millares, Antoni Saura, Simon Hantaï, Claude Viallat, François Rouan and Zao Wou-Ki.

View of the exhibition « Zao Wou-Ki » at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in 1980. Photo Eric Pollitzer. Reserved rights

Pierre Matisse will organize two personal exhibitions for Zao Wou-Ki in November 1980 and May 1986. These two exhibitions are of major significance for Zao Wou-Ki who did not have a personal exhibition in New York since the Kootz Gallery closed in 1967. Pierre Matisse dies in August 1989 and his disappearance will be the end of one of New York most important galleries.

Zao Wou-Ki. Deep Water, 1957, oil on canvas, 50 x 100 cm. Exhibited in 1980 at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York. Photo Annik Wetter. Reserved rights

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Hong Kong Museum of Art

On the other side of the globe, the Hong Kong Museum of Art which re-opened at the end of 2019, renovated and modernized, presents two paintings by Zao Wou-Ki included in the permanent collections and in a temporary exhibition.

10.09.73, a large painting dated 1973, is one of the major paintings of the museum. Its purchase by the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 1982 has put this museum among Asian and Chinese museums pioneers in the interest and re-discovery of Zao Wou-Ki. 

Zao Wou-Ki. 10.09.73, 1973, oil on canvas, 200 x 162 cm. Purchase of the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 1982. Courtesy HKMOA. Reserved rights

You can learn more thanks to the introduction in English and in sign language ‘Hong Kong Experience – Hong Kong Experiment’ produced by HKMOA:

The second painting belonging to the collections of the museum, 14.01.83, was offered in 2010. It is surprisingly presented in the temporary exhibition entitled: « Not a fashion store! », evidencing the relationship between ancient and modern art and fashion (until January 5th 2022). 

Zao Wou-Ki. 14.01.83, 1983, oil on canvas, 60 x 73 cm. Hong Kong Museum of Art. Courtesy HKMOA. Reserved rights

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