THE MARC LADREIT DE LACHARRIÈRE FOUNDATION

Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière – Honorary patron of the Museum’s 20th Anniversary

A committed entrepreneur for over thirty years, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière has devoted his professional success to serving society. A UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in charge of cultural diversity, founder of the Culture & Diversity Foundation for equal opportunity and social cohesion, member of the Institut de France, and a fervent advocate of intercultural dialogue, he has consistently supported the artistic and cultural ambitions of the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac.

In view of his close ties with the museum and the decisive support he has provided since its inception, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière has been appointed honorary patron of its 20th anniversary.

“From the very beginning of the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, I wished to contribute to its influence. As honorary patron of this anniversary, I am proud to be associated with its development at a time when the most fundamental universal values are fragmenting.”

The Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière Foundation

From the creation of FIMALAC in 1991, its Chairman, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, sought to ensure that both his company and he himself would undertake actions in support of UNESCO’s universal values, with the aim of offering everyone the same opportunities for development, regardless of social or ethnic background, disability, or religious beliefs. These commitments continue to promote cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue, and the international influence of French culture. Two foundations are primarily dedicated to implementing these commitments: the Culture & Diversity Foundation and the Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière Foundation.

Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière and the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac: 20 years of patronage

Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière’s long-term support has notably enabled the acquisition of major photographic works, presented at the contemporary photography biennial Photoquai in 2007; the production of the Dogon exhibition in 2011; and the organization of various free public events for the museum’s 10th anniversary in 2016.

In 2018, he donated to France a prestigious set of 36 works from his collection. In 2020, two additional works were added to this donation. The Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière collection then joined the permanent collections of the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, within the gallery that now bears his name. Designed by Jean Nouvel and inaugurated in 2021, the Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière Gallery offers, in accordance with his wishes, a program divided between two rooms of equal size: one dedicated to the presentation of his collection, the other to temporary exhibitions.

Indeed, from the outset, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière wished to complement his donation by funding ambitious cultural and scientific projects, materialized through the production of two exhibitions per year. Presented in the Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière Gallery, the exhibitions in this program offer a distinctive perspective on the history of non-Western arts.