This September, Musée Rodin in Paris will open its first international outpost – in China. The French museum’s two existing sites in central Paris and in nearby Meudon, in the villa where Auguste Rodin lived until his death in 1917, are well-known cultural destinations thanks to the fame and influence of the sculptor behind The Thinker (1904) and The Kiss (1882).
The new branch, first reported by South China Morning Post, a private museum called the Centre d’Art Rodin, is authorised by the Musée Rodin and is opening after eight years of preparation as the two countries mark 60 years of diplomatic relations.
The centre’s artistic director, Kong Xianhe, told the Post that the French museum chose Shanghai as the location for its first international outpost because of its cultural significance and vibrant art scene, as well as the potential of its economy and urban development.
Musée Rodin is the only national museum in France that is fully self-funded. Without disclosing the financial agreement behind the partnership, Kong says the two museums will work together to curate exhibitions in the Centre d’Art Rodin.
Auguste Rodin, born in Paris in 1840, is widely regarded as the 19th century sculptor who first broke away from classical traditions and made figures that reflected ordinary, human suffering, love and physical vulnerability.