Lalique Museum Groundbreaking Ceremony: On November 8th, 2008, the unveiling of the cornerstone for the new Musee Lalique occurred at Wingen-su-Moder in the north of Alsace near the site of one of the glass factories of the great Rene Lalique. Partners in the project, which is expected to open in 2010 include the town of Wingen-sur-Moder, the Lalique Crystal Company, the Department of Bas-Rhin, and the Alsace Region. The museum will have official Museum status with the French government. This status will enable the Lalique Museum to accept deposits or loans of works from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Musée d’Orsay. The Museum will also have the right of preemption to acquire works in France, and it will be eligible for funding of acquisitions through a government fund for acquisitions by official Museums. This tribute to Rene Lalique, and what in effect will be a French National repository for his works for public display, has been a long time coming, and will provide a focal point not just in France, but also worldwide, for honoring the man who was not just the father of modern jewelry, but was also so important to the artistic and industrial development, implementation and adoption of decorative design in the first half of the 20th century with his fabulous glass creations. The museum will feature not just an exhibition hall, but also a garden and cafeteria, as well as an auditorium, a gift shop, and a teaching center. There will also be a place in the Museum for the works of Marc Lalique, as well space for temporary exhibitions. The Museum will apparently receive a good size group of around 200 items and 2000 original Rene Lalique drawings from the Lalique Crystal Company for exhibit, as well as items from the personal collection of Silvio Denz, the head of the Perfume and Fragrance Company, which owns just over 50% of the Lalique Crystal Company.
Readers, this is great news for R Lalique and Rene Lalique enthusiasts and collectors! A world class museum dedicated to Rene Lalique! All of the people, agencies, and companies involved in the Lalique Museum project are owed a debt of gratitude by R Lalique collectors worldwide. We will keep you updated as the project progresses and additional news becomes available.
The Lalique Museum:
Architects: Wilmotte, Paris, France
Scenographer: dUCKS scéno (photo credit)
All Articles on These Topics: R Lalique and Rene Lalique News, Rene Lalique Museums: R Lalique Museum Collections
