Founded in 2005 by Laurent Godin. Galerie Laurent Godin first resided in the heart of Le Marais near the Centre Pompidou. But it moved in September 2017 to a new and bigger space. This new location in the east of Paris covers 500 square meters.
This relocation provides new perspectives for visitors. It encourages a rethinking of our relationship with art. It challenges the traditional gallery experience. The Galerie Laurent Godin aims to present art outside the classical gallery track.
Laurent Godin’s journey to opening his gallery is interesting. He graduated from Les Beaux Arts de Lyon in 1990. Godin then worked with galerist Roger Pailhas in Marseille and Paris. In 1993, he collaborated with Pontus Hulten on a sculpture park in South Korea. Between 2000 and 2005, Godin directed Le Rectangle. Le Rectangle is the Lyon Contemporary Art Center. There, he presented exhibitions by Wang Du, L’atelier Van Lieshout and Stephan Balkenhol. He also featured Anselm Kiefer. In 2005, he curated a large sculpture exhibition in Jinan, China. The exhibition included works by Daniel Buren, Pierre Huygue and Anne Veronica Janssen. Convinced of the role galleries play for artists, he founded his own gallery.
The Galerie Laurent Godin represents twenty emerging and established artists. These artists work with various media. Their work contributes to contemporary art discussions. They focus particularly on politics and socio-cultural content.
The Galerie Laurent Godin has hosted acclaimed solo shows. These include shows by Peter Buggenhout, Gonzalo Lebrija and Haim Steinbach. Mika Rottenberg and Alan Vega have also been featured. The gallery also organizes group shows. These shows gather artists from the gallery. They include great international artists. Eugène Leroy, Hans Josephson and John Armleder are among them. Francis Picabia has also been shown.
In October 2015, the Galerie Laurent Godin celebrated its 10-year anniversary. That’s when they opened the new space in the east of Paris. This second space is a multi-tasking space. The gallery organizes group shows and solo shows there. These solo shows happen only once or twice a year. Events and talks also take place. The Galerie Laurent Godin aims to open new windows for visitors and artists.
Laurent Godin also publishes monographs, catalogs and artists’ books.
Laurent Godin was appointed a Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters in October 2010.
The Galerie Laurent Godin participates in international art fairs. These fairs are in Paris, Cologne, Miami, New York and Brussels.