A Brief History of the Future

This exhibition—one of the most anticipated at the Louvre in 2015—is based on the book by Jacques Attali of the same name (Une brève histoire de l’avenir), published in 2006. Pluridisciplinary, it brings a number of contemporary artists into a dialogue with noteworthy works from different eras, retracing in the present an account of the past conducive to a clearer view of the future.

Thomas Cole, Le Destin des empires. Destruction, 1836

The viewing itinerary is organized around four themes, each featuring works commissioned from contemporary artists: the ordering of the world, the great empires, the expansion of the world, and the polycentric world we live in today. Mark Manders, Tomás Saraceno, Wael Shawky, Camille Henrot, Isabelle Cornaro, Chéri Samba, and Ai Wei Wei have thus accepted the Louvre's invitation.

These artworks highlight the succession of historical moments of expansion and withdrawal, the building of exchanges between individuals or communities, and the creation of various means of communication to make them possible. Special focus is placed on interpreting the artworks and putting them into perspective, particularly through a discussion area created in the last room.

A Brief History of the Future from September 24, 2015 to January 4, 2016 at Musée Louvre.

Image Courtesy The New York Historical Society

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