Palais de Tokyo Patrons on the Move
Held during the last edition of FIAC Paris, the first “Dîner de la Création” was organized by Palais de Tokyo in Paris, alongside the exhibition “On Air” by Tomás Saraceno. The dinner, prepared by double Michelin star chef Alexandre Gauthier, attracted a throng of patrons who responded to the summons of Jean de Loisy to show their support for artistic creation. A resounding success, with a second edition already in the making.
With all the background work orchestrated by Jean de Loisy since his appointment to the presidency of Palais de Tokyo in 2011, allowing the institution to raise its attendance and its “desirability,” the time had come to address the sponsors, who in recent years have played an increasingly important role in supporting exhibitions. On 17 October, 2018, the 250 or so guests – including Frédéric Rouzaud (Champagne Louis Roederer), Karine Journo (Phalsbourg Company), Philippe Peyrat (Engie), Virginie Bos (Van Cleef & Arpels), Amanda Mille (Richard Mille), Laurent Dumas (Emerige), Laurent Turpault (Coca Cola) – gathering around Jean de Loisy, Tomás Saraceno and Alexandre Gauthier, knew that in all likelihood it would not be the usual stuffy gala dinner. But none of them could have imagined this 21st-century medieval banquet, featuring the culinary creations of the chef of La Grenouillère at La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil, in the Pas-de-Calais region. The principle: gathering from nature to construct a culinary narrative that throughout the courses would intrigue, by turns caressing and teasing taste buds, suggesting images and sensations. The guests were invited to choose from different types of spoons – their only eating utensils – displayed on solid wood tables. It was a tribute to the era before forks, a rustic time for which the squash and apples placed on the tables provided an apt illustration. Vegetables, fruits, fish and broths conveyed the chef’s ideas, hovering between pure artistry and pragmatism: besides the food-wine pairings, guests could discover connections between edibles and works of art. Clearly the aim was not didactic in character; the goal – convincingly achieved – was to create a lively atmosphere, in good company, also through the extreme originality of the dishes, as much in content as in form. “It is extraordinary that during a fair of the caliber of FIAC, such a dinner can be held, made possible by the support of patrons, and focusing on an exceptional artist, with a chef who is just as extraordinary. This proves that things are evolving in Paris. It is a joy for me to see such a strong response to the exhibition, mirrored by the achievements of the chef,” said Rémi Babinet, founding president of BETC, an agency that works on support of artistic creation, both in skills-based sponsorship and as a large organizer of exhibitions held in the Magasins Généraux. “It’s an exceptional and very appealing dinner, a rare experience that allows for exciting encounters,” Colette Barbier, director of the Ricard Corporate Foundation, observed. “When I was asked to come to this Dinner of Creation I was immediately seduced by the idea of combining art, the site, taste, and the various subtle reminders of the links between Saraceno’s exhibition and the dinner’s staging. “It is a very new gesture,” noted Aurélie Deplus, head of artistic patronage at the Société Générale. We’re willing to bet that the 2019 edition, planned around an upcoming exhibition on the emerging French art scene, will be similarly energizing, with the same strength of conviction, talents and minds.
“Tomás Saraceno: On Air.” Palais de Tokyo, Paris. Through January 6, 2019.