The Giacometti Foundation is always bustling with activity surrounding the work of the artist who lends it his name, but this year is particularly special as it commemorates a double anniversary. We spoke with Thierry Pautot, head of research at the foundation and curator of an exhibition that pays tribute to the unique relationship between the relentless creator and the indispensable Annette Giacometti.
In 2023, the Giacometti Foundation celebrates twice over. Annette Giacometti, the person who worked most intensely for the foundation and its creation, would have turned one hundred years old. She played a leading role and was responsible for a significant part of the work of the legendary Swiss artist; she was his facilitator. Without her, Alberto Giacometti would have been a good artist, a great artist even, but not the immense artist he became. She transformed and accompanied him. After Giacometti's death in 1966, she bravely dedicated herself to promoting her husband's work and defending it to infinity. She did not live to see the establishment of an institution that would embody the same spirit. She passed away inend of 2003. That is the other anniversary being celebrated: twenty years of passionately and abundantly promoting the Swiss creator's work through exhibitions at the Giacometti Institute in Paris, as well as collaborations with other museum institutions within and beyond France. Some examples include the first retrospective currently on view at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art until October 7 or the one hosted by the Calouste Gulbenkian Modern Art Center in Lisbon, examining the connections between the works of Alberto Giacometti and Rui Chafes until September 18, but there are many more.
