How it all started with a lottery
Lille, 1892. A brand new building devoted entirely to fine art is unveiled with great ceremony. A journalist writes: "Nowhere in France, not even in Paris, are statues, busts and groups so grandly accommodated or shown to better effect"! But this fine palace, loved by so many visitors, very nearly never saw the light of day...
Learn moreThe chandeliers, by Gaetano Pesce, 1997.
Unmissable! Two huge multicoloured soap bubbles welcome you to the museum lobby. But what are these gigantic, exuberant creations doing in a 19th century building
Learn moreThe birth of the atrium
There is a great big hole in the Lille Museum of Fine Art! The atrium, the internal courtyard at the heart of the museum, is entirely underground... Why such an upheaval?
Learn moreThe blade building
Visitors walking through the atrium of the Museum of Fine Art might well be a little perplexed. On the other side of the courtyard stands a large building, as smooth as a mirror. What is this strange edifice?
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