The National Center for Art Research, Japan (abbreviation: NCAR; director: Kataoka Mami) has initiated a new exchange project in collaboration with the French Embassy in Japan/Institut Français and the National Georges Pompidou Centre of Art and Culture (hereinafter referred to as the “Pompidou Centre”). Scheduled to take place from fiscal year 2024 to 2028, the program facilitates the exchange of curators from both the National Museum of Art and the Pompidou Centre.
This project is carried out with the cooperation of the Society of the Japanese Friends of Centre Pompidou. Its goals are to enhance the understanding of modern and contemporary art and design in Japan and France through curator exchanges and research, as well as to deepen cultural ties between the two countries. In fiscal year 2024, a researcher from the National Museum of Western Art’s curatorial department conducted research in France, while a curator from the Pompidou Centre’s Design and Industrial Prospective department is currently undertaking research in Japan.
In conjunction with this exchange, a talk event featuring Mr. Olivier Zeitoun, the visiting curator from the Pompidou Centre, will take place on March 26, 2025, at the Tokyo branch of the Institut Français, the Institut français de Tokyo. This event is jointly organized as part of the France-Japan dialogue series “Le Labo” of the Institut français de Tokyo and the “NCAR Talk” series of the National Center for Art Research, Japan. The talk will introduce the esteemed design collection of the Pompidou Centre and its latest projects and research, including sustainable design, the promotion of female designers, and global design developed through post-colonial approaches.
About the National Center for Art Research, Japan
Under the mission of “connecting, deepening, and expanding art,” NCAR will continue to contribute to the activation and enhancement of museum activities in Japan. Our efforts include collecting and disseminating information both domestically and internationally, promoting the utilization of collection, building person to-person networks, expanding learning opportunities, and supporting artists.
Event overview
Title
Welcoming Olivier Zeitoun, Curator of the Design and Industrial Prospective Department at the Pompidou Centre (NCAR Talk 004, France-Japan Dialogue Series “Le Labo” vol.36)
Date and time
Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 7–8:30pm (JST)
Venue
Institut français de Tokyo (15 Ichigaya-Funagawara-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
Content (planned)
Presentation by Mr. Olivier Zeitoun on the Pompidou Centre’s esteemed design collection and other topics (60 minutes)
Q&A and discussion with the moderator (30 minutes)
Speaker: Olivier Zeitoun
Associate Curator, Design and Industrial Prospective department, Pompidou Centre After studying philosophy, art history, and social sciences, he has been involved in exhibition planning and collection activities at the Pompidou Centre. He also contributes essays on art and design to magazines and conducts research and publishing as an independent curator.
Moderator: Ko Miryon
Head of International Projects, Senior Researcher at the National Art Center, Tokyo Specialized in art history and environmental design, she began her career at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany. After serving as a director at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT and as Art & Culture Director at Cartier, she has been in her current position since 2023.
Following the talk, a networking reception with the curator and moderator will be held, courtesy of the Society of the Japanese Friends of Centre Pompidou. Anyone who registers for the talk is welcome to attend.
Capacity: 100 people (first-come, first-served)
Admission fee: general, 1,000 yen (Free for university students and below, and Institut français members)
Language: French, Japanese (consecutive interpretation available)
Registration: NCAR website
