1989
1989
Carrefour Vavin, cultural association for the promotion of artists of the École de Paris – Founder and president.
PORTRAITS AND LANDSCAPES AT ZBOROWSKI’S, exhibition organized by “Carrefour Vavin” in the townhall of the 6th arrondissement with works by Modigliani, Soutine and Kisling, Antcher and Ebiche, based on a university dissertation on the dealer Zborowski – Curator of the exhibition.
1990
1990
FIRST MASTERPIECES OF THE EUROPEAN GREAT MASTERS (1870-1970) at the Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris, then on tour to Strasbourg, Japan and Spain – Participation.
1991
1991
FLAURE at the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris – Curator of the exhibition dedicated to the contemporary artist.
1992
1992
AMEDEO MODIGLIANI, retrospective, inaugural exhibition at the Tobu Museum in Tokyo, Japan – General curator.
1993
1993
RENOIR retrospective, organized for the Mainichi press group at the Tobu Museum in Tokyo, and at the Municipal Museum in Osaka (July 1993), Japan – General curator.
1993-94
MODIGLIANI AND HIS FRIENDS on tour in Japan – General curator of the exhibition.
1994
1994
ZBOROWSKI’S PAINTERS – MODIGLIANI, UTRILLO, SOUTINE AND THEIR FRIENDS at the Fondation de l’Hermitage in Lausanne, Switzerland, for its 10th anniversary – Curator of the exhibition.
ANDRÉ DERAIN, THE PAINTER OF THE MODERN DISORDER, participation in the retrospective at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la ville de Paris.
ZBOROWSKI’S PAINTERS… at the PalazzoVecchio in Florence, Italy.
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SOUTINE at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Lugano in Switzerland – Participation.
1995
1995
WOMEN IMPRESSIONISTS at the Isetan Museum in Tokyo, Japan – General curator.
ANDRÉ DERAIN at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid – Participation in the retrospective.
1996
1996
EUGÈNE BOUDIN retrospective, for the first time in Japan. Travelling exhibition—General curator.
THE ETERNAL FEMININE at the Stadthalle in Balingen, Germany – Participation in the exhibition.
1997
1997
GEORGES ROUAULT retrospective at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Lugano in Switzerland – Curator of the exhibition. 
MODIGLIANI ET SON ÉPOQUE, roving exhibition in Japan—General curator.
1998
1998
EUGÈNE BOUDIN: 1824-1898, ANTESALA DEL IMPRESIONISMO at the National Museum of Colombia, Bogota – General curator of the exhibition held for the centenary of the painter’s death.
KIKI, QUEEN OF MONTPARNASSE in Japan – General curator of the travelling exhibition.
GEORGES ROUAULT retrospective in Japan at the Yasuda Museum – General curator.
1999
1999
MASTERPIECES OF DR. RAU’S COLLECTION at the Yasuda Museum in Tokyo, first stage of the tour in Japan, then in the USA and Europe – General curator.
MASTERPIECES OF THE MUSÉE D’ART MODERNE DE LA VILLE DE PARIS on tour in Japan – Organizer of the exhibition, which was curated by Suzanne Pagé. 
MODIGLIANI retrospective at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Lugano, Switzerland – Curator of the exhibition.
2000
2000
SISLEY CENTENARY, travelling exhibition in Japan, including the Isétan Museum in Tokyo– General curator of the exhibition.
MONET, IL MAESTRO DELLA LUCE at the Museum of the Risorgimento in Roma, Italy – General curator of the exhibition organized for the jubilee.
PICASSO at the National Museum of Bogota, Colombia –General curator of the exhibition.
SOUTINE at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Céret – Member of the exhibition’s scientific committee.
FROM FRA ANGELICO TO BONNARD: MASTERPIECES OF DR. RAU’S COLLECTION – General Curator. Presentation of the exhibition MUSÉE DU LUXEMBOURG to mark the re-opening of the museum in Paris and appointment of the new Director of the museum.
2001
2001
ODILON REDON, travelling exhibition in Japan – General curator.
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RODIN IN 1900, THE ALMA EXHIBITION at the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris. Re-creation of the exhibition of Rodin’s plasters for the 1900 World Fair in the Pavillon de l’Alma. Organized in association with the Réunion des Musées Nationaux and the Musée Rodin, Paris.
MONET, organized by the prefectural museum in Yamaguchi in Japan – Co-curator of the exhibition-event.
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RAPHAËL at the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris. First special retrospective devoted to the master of Urbino around 13 works coming from all over the world, and often never having left their country. Organized in association with the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Vatican.
2002
2002
COURBET, travelling exhibition of the Musée Courbet in Ornans and the house where the painter was born, ending up with a larger Courbet show to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Tochigi Museum, Japon – Curator of the exhibition: Jean-Jacques Fernier.
RAU’S COLLECTION, continuation of the international tour at the Carrara Academy, in Bergamo Italy.
RAU’S COLLECTION at the National Museum of Bogota, Colombia.
2002 – 2003 
MODIGLIANI, THE MELANCHOLY ANGEL at the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris. The largest retrospective show ever held of the artist’s work, bringing together 110 oils—General curator of the exhibition.
2003
2003
MODIGLIANI retrospective at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, Italy. First Modigliani exhibition in Italy, in the same venue, since the one organized by Lionello Venturi in 1958. Jeanne Hébuterne’s drawings and paintings exhibited for the first time. The aspect of Modigliani the draughtsman was much more developed than in Paris.
THE ADVENTURE OF PONT-AVEN AND GAUGUIN at the Musée du Luxembourg. First exhibition about the early days of Gauguin at Pont-Aven.
2003 – 2004
Inauguration of the Pinacothèque de Paris in the presence of the Minister of Culture, the first private museum proposing a cultural policy for top quality exhibitions.
PICASSO INTIME, JACQUELINE’S COLLECTION at the Pinacothèque de Paris for the museum’s inauguration.
2004
2003 – 2004
AFRICA – CAPOLAVORI DA UN CONTINENTE at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Turin, Italy. An extraordinary selection of masterpieces from the first millennium BCE to the early 20th century, representing a historical, cultural and artistic heritage of a continent – Participation in the exhibition.
2004 – 2005
PICASSO INTIME on tour in Japan for a year in the country’s major museums.
2005
2005
ARTS OF AFRICA, at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, offering a unique journey to the heart of the African continent and all its forms of artistic expression – Participation in the exhibition.
2007
2007
Opening of the Pinacothèque de Paris, Place de la Madeleine.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN: EVOLUTION at the Pinacothèque de Paris: the museum’s inaugural show in Place de la Madeleine.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE VENITIAN PAINTING, FROM TIZIANO TO GUARDI at the Toyota Municipal Museum, first stage of the Japanese tour, then shown at the Prefectural Museum in Shizuoka, the Municipal Museum of Oita, at the Bunkamura Museum and at the Tottori Prefectural Museum – Curator of the exhibition.
MODIGLIANI AND JEANNE HÉBUTERNE: THE CURSED COUPLE, tour in Japan: at the Bunkamura Museum of Art, then at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Sapporo, the Daimaru Museum in Umeda, at the Shimane Art Museum and at the Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art.
2008
2008
CHAÏM SOUTINE at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
ATELIER MAN RAY at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
THE XI’AN WARRIORS: “SOLDIERS OF ETERNITY” at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
MODIGLIANI AND PRIMITIVISM at the National Art Center in Tokyo then at the National Museum of Art in Osaka, Japan – Curator of the exhibition.
AMEDEO MODIGLIANI AND JEANNE HÉBUTERNE at the Goyan Aram Art Gallery, South Korea – Curator of the exhibition.
JACKSON POLLOCK AND SHAMANISM at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
2009
2009
VALADON – UTRILLO: THE TURN OF THE CENTURY IN MONTMARTRE – FROM IMPRESSIONISM TO THE SCHOOL OF PARIS at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
THE DUTCH GOLDEN AGE – FROM REMBRANDT TO VERMEER at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
2010
2010
EDVARD MUNCH OR THE “ANTI-SCREAM” at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
THE INCAS’ GOLD – ORIGINS AND MYSTERIES at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
2011
2011
HERMITAGE, THE BIRTH OF THE IMPERIAL MUSEUM – THE ROMANOVS, TSARS AND ART COLLECTORS at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
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THE BIRTH OF THE MUSEUM – THE ESTERHÁZY’S, PRINCES AND ART COLLECTORS at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
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HUGO PRATT’S IMAGINARY JOURNEY at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
GIACOMETTI AND THE ETRUSCANS at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
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EXPRESSIONISMUS & EXPRESSIONISMI – DER BLAUE REITER vs. BRÜCKE. BERLIN-MUNICH 1905-1920 at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
ILONE & GEORGE KREMER – HEIRS OF THE DUTCH GOLDEN AGE at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
2012
2012
THE MAYAN JADE MASKS at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
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THE NETTER COLLECTION: MODIGLIANI, SOUTINE AND THE MONTPARNASSE ADVENTURE at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
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VAN GOGH – DREAMS OF JAPAN at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
HIROSHIGE – THE ART OF TRAVEL at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
2013
2013
MODIGLIANI, SOUTINE AND THE CURSED ARTISTS – THE NETTER COLLECTION at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, then at the Palazzo Cipolla in Rome, Italy.
ART NOUVEAU – THE DECORATIVE REVOLUTION and…
TAMARA DE LEMPICKA, THE QUEEN OF ART DÉCO at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
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THE ART OF COLLECTING, pop-up exhibition at the Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris.
PAINTERS WITNESSES OF THEIR TIMES at the Pinacothèque de Paris:
• GOYA AND MODERNITY
• BRUEGHEL DYNASTY
• CHU TEH-CHUN – WAYS TO ABSTRACTION
EDVARD MUNCH at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa, Italy.
2014
2014
THE MYTH OF CLEOPATRA at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
KÂMA-SÛTRA – SPIRITUALITY AND EROTICISM IN INDIAN ART at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
THE ART OF OVE IN THE TIME OF GEISHAS – FORBIDDEN JAPANESE MASTERPIECES, FROM UTAMARO TO HOKUSAÏ AND HIROSHIGE at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
2015
2015
IN THE TIME OF KLIMT – THE VIENNA SECESSION at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
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PRESSIONISM – MASTRPIECES OF GRAFFITI ON CANVAS, FROM BASQUIAT TO BANDO, 1970-1990 at the Pinacothèque de Paris – Curator: Alain-Dominique Gallizia.
THE MYTH OF CLEOPATRA at the Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris, for the museum’s official inauguration.
FROM RUBENS TO VAN DYCK – FLEMISH MASTERPIECES OF THE GERSTENMAIER COLLECTION at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
2016
2016
LEONARDO DA VINCI, IL GENIO – THE SECRTS OF THE CODEX ATLANTICUS UNVEILED at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
KARL LAGERFELD, A VISUAL JOURNEY – PHOTOGRAPHS at the Pinacothèque de Paris.
2017
2017
MODIGLIANI, SOUTINE AND OTHER LEGENDS OF MONTPARNASSE at Fabergé Museum in Saint-Petersburg (Russia). Curator
THE EXHIBITIONS
For the uninitiated, his name will not necessarily conjure up any images, whereas for all those who are interested in Art, its History, and the places where it can be seen, Marc Restellini is an emblematic figure in the French cultural landscape. The work of Marc Restellini, one of the greatest experts on Modigliani, and founder of the Pinacothèque de Paris, has profoundly altered the way we see the organization and design of art exhibitions. Let us go back over some of the strengths of a passionate man who never leaves people indifferent.
For Marc Restellini, exhibitions have always been his favourite method of expression. Offering a very particular medium making it possible to create a balanced mix between education for the general public and scientific erudition, through this exercise Marc Restellini has offered the public many cult exhibitions which have sometimes turned out to be outstanding popular successes. Out of the 10 most visited exhibitions in the past 20 years, at least five have been curated by Marc Restellini.
In particular, this medium has enabled him to upset the way people perceive works and the way works are interpreted among the public. When he embarked on his professional career, the museum world had been in a state of rupture for 30 or 40 years with the model of the “old museum”, where the works were hung against red wall hangings less than four inches apart, from floor to ceiling. That break, which occurred in the Malraux years, took the opposite stance from that period, and resulted in hanging works 30 feet apart on a white wall, with cold lighting. To the point of removing all warmth from the setting, and sometimes even killing the work. This approach culminated in making the interpretation of the work extremely desensitized, rendering it merely intellectual, by making a definitive break with the aestheticism, which the fashion of the day railed against.
Marc Restellini, a virulent opponent of white walls, would reintroduce colour onto walls, by adding an architectural language to the setting through colour, altering lighting systems and conceiving specific lighting for works, in order to reintroduce emotion into the way a work was read.
Putting works closer to one another in a logic of dialogue between them, and also introducing education to enable the person reading the work to assimilate those notions of art history represented by iconography and comparative science, lie at the heart of his approach. He would thus be the first person to impart that concept of cross-disciplinarity, which also makes it possible to compare cultures and civilizations in one and the same exhibition.
This approach, which re-thinks codes in depth, would enable Marc Restellini to curate nothing less than cult exhibitions which today still remain in our memory as outstanding shows not only because of their rich content but also because they proposed a total re-reading of the oeuvre of the artists on view.
So the very famous Modigliani exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg, which he sub-titled “Modigliani, l’Ange au Visage grave” [Modigliani, the Angel with the Solemn Face], was a complete re-reading of the Italian artist’s œuvre. In size, it was also the largest show ever held of Modigliani’s work, with more than 110 paintings and more than 40 drawings. That ambitious project was especially well acclaimed among the general public: almost 600,000 visitors saw the show, more than the figure for the “Picasso-Matisse” exhibition which was held at the same time in the Grand Palais.
We should also bear in mind a re-reading of Van Gogh with the double exhibition “Van Gogh, Dreams of Japan” and “Hiroshige, the Art of Travel”, which established the compulsive relation between Van Gogh and the art of the Japanese print in the 18th and 19th centuries. That exhibition was incidentally one of the major successes of the Pinacothèque de Paris with more than 800,000 visitors in five months.
For their part, the application of the concepts of cross-disciplinarity and the re-interpretation of artists are to be found in exhibitions which are still references to this day, such as “Pollock and Shamanism”, which for the first time repositioned Pollock in his relation to the primitive and Amerindian arts, and “Giacometti and the Etruscans”, presenting for the first time the historical and scientific proof of a comparison between the two worlds which had hitherto been merely alleged.
It was also at the Pinacothèque de Paris that obviously successful exhibitions were held, such as the “Warriors of Eternity” which, for the first time in France, showed the famous Chinese archaeological discoveries at Xi’an, and the first emperor of China, and the most important “Soutine” exhibition ever held, with more than 100 masterpieces, as well as “The Dutch Golden Age”, an emblematic success which attracted more than 600,000 visitors at the time, organized in partnership with the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
All those major shows, which gave rise to much discussion and controversy (and whose success stirred up a great deal of jealousy in institutional cultural circles), lastingly altered the world of exhibitions in Paris and in France. These days, no museum holds an exhibition without referring either directly or indirectly to the lessons to be learnt from the work done by the Pinacothèque de Paris and Marc Restellini, in terms of exhibition themes as well as with regard to how they are hung and their educational approach.
Hélianthe Bourdeaux-Maurin (Storify), The Great Names of Museums: Marc Restellini: 2017, February > Read complete post