CONVERSION INTO A MUSEUM OF THE
BOURSE DE COMMERCE_
“I instigated the conversion of Paris Bourse de Commerce into a contemporary art museum, originally for a project of mine: MOCA Paris. My goal was to repurpose the building into a museum dedicated to post-war & contemporary art from North America but fell short of raising the total required funding.
My vision for this building was subsequently successful, completing what I had initiated with the CCI & the City of Paris from 2010 to 2014. I was the first to present this location to Pinault group in 2014 to set up its museum dedicated to François Pinault’s collection in Paris.
Witnessing my vision being realized at last, albeit through a different path, vindicates a particularly important idea for me.
I wish the venue a great success for Paris and for its audiences.”
MOCA PARIS: THE ORIGINS OF THE MUSEUM PROJECT
Having resettled in New York in 2006-2009, Frédéric Brière witnessed the dazzling of thecontemporary art scene there. He reckoned that Paris – supposed capital of all cultures - lacked a dedicated institution to permanently exhibit the art of North America, like it otherwise does for the arts from Asia, Africa, Oceania, or the Arab-Muslim world. Frédéric Brière nurtured the vision / mission / ambition and the project of a new museum of American post-war & contemporary art: MOCA Paris. The program called for 3 annual exhibitions: a retrospective of major artists, a group exhibition about a social theme and a private collection.
This broad public project, located in the Bourse de Commerce, a top-notch location along the Paris museum axis, ambitioned to tap into one of the largest influx of visitors in the world.
Frédéric Brière got agreements of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the City of Paris and the French Gov. to convert this office building into a museum.
While able to raise €25m ($32m) in funding from American philanthropy, by naming exhibition rooms, and from the Caisse de Dépôts, MOCA fell short of the total funding required to be able to move forwar
THE BOURSE DE COMMERCE:
HOME of MOCA PARIS project,
THE preliminary DEALS WITH CCI & PARIS CITY
Back in 2010, the Bourse de Commerce was a neglected building: unavailable because occupied by the offices of its owner (the Paris CCI), ensconced in the tangle of Les Halles and without any plans for its future from the CCI or the Paris City Hall.
Frédéric Brière developed a new vision for this 97,000 sq ft building.
Ideally located on the Paris museum axis between the Louvre and the Pompidou Center, sat on the largest transport hub in Greater Paris, featuring an original monumental architecture with five interior platforms of 17,000 sq ft suitable : the building is perfect for conversion into a new art museum, like Brière’s MOCA project. A planned new entrance located on the garden side would open the Bourse de commerce - MOCA Paris towards the public instead of turning its back on it.
From 2010 to 2014, Frédéric Brière reached conditional agreements with the Mayor of Paris and the CCI. The City agreed not to exercise an old clause that would have allowed it to return to the premises for 1 euro in the event of any change of use.
Brière was granted a three-year exclusivity from January 2012 to 2015 by the CCI. He organized the search by the City of relocation premises in Paris for the CCI staff working at the Bourse de Commerce, obtained from CCI an initial sales price evaluation of the building (60 M €) and led its own fund raising for MOCA.
THE TRANSITION TO THE PINAULT MUSEUM
In 2014, bound by confidentiality with CCI and the City of Paris, and by exclusivity with Frédéric Brière, the Bourse de Commerce remained invisible, outside the market, and unavailable except for MOCA.
Meanwhile, François Pinault had been unable to find a suitable location in Paris, in spite of a 7-year search, whereas MOCA Paris raised only € 25m ($ 32m) / € 60 m.
Using his exclusive rights, Frédéric Brière tried to fulfill the best interest of the Paris art scene, while seeking a referral commission for himself, by enticing François Pinault to settle into the building in lieu of MOCA, to display his collection.
On May 13, 2014,, Brière disclosed the potential Bouse de Commerce opportunity to Pinault group by giving a first tour to its special advisor for art JJ Aillagon.
Aillagon gave a negative answer on June 19, stating that François Pinault was not interested in visiting the place, expressing doubts that Pinault would be attracted by the premises, writting he ‘d get back to Brière in case of any change from Pinault.
In March 2015, two months after Brière’s exclusivity had expired, François Pinault changed his mind, visited the Bourse de Commerce at the invitation of the Mayor, initiated a feasibility study and started discussions with the City.
On March 26, 2018, Frédéric Brière obtained a judgment from the Paris Court stating the conversion of the Bourse de Commerce into a museum is his prior idea. The Court declared Brière’s legal recourse non abusive but declined any compensation.
In 2021, Briere’s vision has become reality: the Bourse de Commerce is a museum.