Founded in 1984, the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain in Paris is dedicated to supporting and facilitating the development of contemporary art forms and to fostering awareness of these arts.

Last year, for its 20th anniversary, the Fondation Cartier asked some well-known artists (Takashi Murakami, Jack Pierson, Christian Boltanski, Fabrice Hyber, Jean-Michel Alberola, Nan Goldin, Jean-Michel Othoniel, etc.) to recommend some young talents for the “J’en Rêve” exhibition.

View of the exhibition J’en Rêve, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, 2005

Finally 58 artists in their twenties were selected. Since June, and for the first time in their lives, these young talents are presenting their work in an international institution. They meet the public and… the art world professionals. Indeed, at this stage of their lives, most are not yet represented by galleries or recognized by the art establishment. They are at the very beginning of their careers, struggling to distinguish themselves from their predecessors and to define themselves as artists.

View of the exhibition J’en Rêve, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, 2005

Their exhibition is a reflection of our modern-day world, in which the boundaries between disciplines are breaking down. “J’en Rêve” embraces contemporary art in all forms, in all styles. Here it means everything, including painting, video, installations, photography and fashion, proposing a vision that is global, nonexclusive, unprejudiced. The work selected shows the vitality, talent and spirit of youth. It shows how an artist living in Buenos Aires, New-York, Tokyo, or Paris perceives the world by our times.

View of the exhibition J’en Rêve, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, 2005

The only problem with this exhibition? There are too many artworks to really focus on each one. The old-fashioned scenography doesn’t help. Some pieces really suffocate between the big white walls… Too bad for this opened-space building… Sometimes you really got the feeling that you are in the exhibition “end of studies” at the Art school of Paris… and it’s not due to the artists!