Wolfgang Tillmans Has a Solo Show in Paris

BY THE BOOK: Wolfgang Tillmans felt right at home mounting his Paris solo exhibition at the Centre Pompidou’s vast library, which was emptied as the museum prepares to shutter for an extensive, multiyear renovation.

“I love books, so when this invitation came, I felt it was certainly an unusual one, but it immediately connected with me,” he said, addressing the crowd at Thursday night’s opening, and noting he has published 44 books to date, among the 3,000 works on display. “Now, of course, we are in a time where records are being deleted, where research is being stopped and [information] is being withheld from the public. And history, culture is always about what is being recorded.”

Known as Bpi, the Pompidou library, which welcomed 1.3 million visitors last year, is prized for its free access and almost 320,000 documents in all areas of knowledge.

“I was very touched by seeing up to 2,000 people, not all young, actually quite diverse people, sitting at all these tables everywhere, studying, working quietly and peacefully together,” he said. “The Pompidou opened in 1977 and that spirit of free education or free access to knowledge is today more important than ever. And I hope that our countries, our politicians, see the value in that.”

In that spirit, French fashion house Celine collaborated with the Pompidou to offer four days of free admission to the exhibition: on Friday, the opening day, July 3, Aug. 28 and the final day, Sept. 22.

The opening party marked the first public appearance for Celine artistic director Michael Rider, who is slated to show his first collection in Paris on July 6.

Formerly creative director at Polo Ralph Lauren in New York, Rider managed to see the big Tillmans retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in 2022. “This one feels more personal,” he opined.

Diana Picasso toured the vast exhibition with Klaus Biesenbach, director of Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie, and said being in the library brought back fond memories.

“I studied art history, and this library is public and open until very late. Even for great writers, it’s kind of an institution,” she said. “You would meet all kinds of weird people and plunge into that world.”

Among fashion folk checking out Tillmans’ photos, books and other artworks were designers Jack McCollough, Lazaro Hernandez, Sébastien Meyer and Lutz Huelle and model Mica Argañaraz.