It is fifty years since Pablo Picasso died, on 8 April 1973 at Notre-Dame-de-Vie, his home in Mougins. The body of work that he left behind had a profound impact on the entire 20th century.

For this anniversary year, the Musée National Picasso-Paris has invited the British designer Sir Paul Smith, known for his work with colour, tailoring and unexpected details, to lead the artistic direction of an exceptional exhibition showcasing the museum’s collection.

This exhibition created in collaboration with Sir Paul Smith is curated around masterpieces from the collection. The designer’s unique approach to the works invites the public to view them through a contemporary lens and underlines the continuing relevance of Picasso’s work in today’s world. The visions of these two artists sometimes converge, for example around their shared love of objects, dress and playfulness, thus leading to comparisons and a spectacular, highly inventive approach to the presentation of the works. Also on show throughout the exhibition are works by contemporary international artists. In their shared desire to open up new interpretations to Picasso’s work, Guillermo Kuitca, Obi Okigbo, Mickalene Thomas and Chéri Samba interrogate his image and putting their own slant on some of his artistic innovations.

By bringing his exceptional collection back to the heart of the museum, this new hanging is a playful and joyful invitation to rediscover all of Picasso's creative fields, painting, sculpture, ceramics and graphic arts, through the sharp and mischievous eye of a great contemporary creator. This exhibition marks the "Picasso Celebration" at the Hôtel Salé in a masterly way and prefigures the Musée Picasso of tomorrow.Cécile Debray’
Cécile Debray

I hope what I’ve done is to approach it in a less conventional way. Hopefully, we’ve managed to put together more of a visual experience, in a way that is interesting for younger audiences and audiences that are not very knowledgeable about the work of this great master. It’s a more spontaneous and instinctive approach.Paul Smith’
Paul Smith

The exhibition is curated by Cécile Debray and Joanne Snrech, with art direction by Paul Smith.

Cécile Debray was appointed president of the Musée national Picasso-Paris in November 2021. Trained as a curator, she was previously director of the Musée de l’Orangerie from May 2017 to November 2021. She was in charge of the modern collections at the Musée national d’art moderne / Centre Pompidou from 2008 to 2017, scientific advisor to the General Administrator of the of the RMN, in charge of the programming of the Galeries nationales du Grand Palais from 2005 to 2008, curator at the Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris from 2000 to 2005, and director of the museums of Châteauroux, from 1997 to 2000.

Curator of several major international exhibitions : Elles@Centrepompidou, 2009 (Paris, Centre Pompidou, 2009/2011 ; Seattle, SAM, 2012/13 ; Rio, CCBB, 2013) ; Matisse, Cézanne, Picasso... L’aventure des Stein (San Francisco, SFMo-MA ; Paris, Grand Palais, 2011 ; New York, MET, 2012) ; Matisse. Paires et séries(Paris, Centre Pompidou, 2012 ; Copenhague SMK ; New York, MET 2013) ; Marcel Duchamp. La peinture, même (Centre Pompidou, 2014) ; Nymphéas. Le dernier Monet et l’abstraction américaine (Musee de l’Orangerie, avril-juin 2018) ; Préhistoire. Une énigme moderne (Centre Pompidou, 2019) ; Le Modèle noir, de Géricault à Matisse (Musée d’Orsay, 2019).

Member of several juries, of artistic competitions, of the artistic council of the Casa de Velázquez, of the Editorial Board of the Revue de l’Art, president of AWARE (Archives of Women Artists, Research, Exhibitions) in 2019 and 2020, art historian, she publishes on the historical avant-gardes and on modern and contemporary painting.

Joanne Snrech is a heritage curator. Formerly in charge of the modern and contemporary collections at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen (2017-2020), she curated several exhibitions there on the presence of major 19th and 20th century artists in Normandy, including Duchamp (2018) and Braque, Miro and Calder (2019), and contributed to the development of contemporary art in the museums of the Metropolis, through events such as La Ronde (2017-2020) or the tour of the permanent collections So British! in partnership with the Pinault Collection (2019-2020). Since 2020, she has been responsible for paintings at the Musée national Picasso-Paris, where she curated the exhibition Picture Picasso (2021-2022) and the exhibition Picasso et l'Abstraction at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (2022).

Sir Paul Smith is one of Britain's leading designers, renowned for his creative spirit, which combines tradition and modernity. Famous for his clothing and accessories collections, Paul Smith specializes in the inventive use of traditional craftsmanship to create modern pieces that draw inspiration from both art and everyday life.

A true designer, Paul Smith continues to innovate and inspire the world of fashion and design in the UK and internationally. With his enthusiasm for eclectic cultural references and understated combinations of pattern and color, Paul Smith expresses a truly contemporary aesthetic and champions an open, curious and authentic approach to design.