Little-known civil servant in line for top Pompidou job

Serge Lasvignes expected to be named as Alain Seban’s successor

By Vincent Noce. Web only
Published online: 03 March 2015

The Centre Pompidou in Paris is due to get a new president

President François Hollande may trigger fresh controversy in France when he announces—probably tomorrow—the name of the new president of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. 

The Art Newspaper understands that Hollande has selected Serge Lasvignes, an unknown top-ranking civil servant, with little connection to the cultural domain. Lasvignes, who turns 61 this week, has served as government general secretary for the past ten years. An official source says he is due to be appointed to the prestigious post during the cabinet meeting tomorrow or next Wednesday, replacing Alain Seban on 2 April for a five-year term.

Hollande and his culture minister, Fleur Pellerin, decided against an open call for candidates. Last Sunday, Pellerin’s predecessor, Aurélie Filippetti, criticised the government for its “opaque procedure” in the nomination, saying the Socialists do not respect their promise of a clean Republic. 

A product of the French administration’s elite “grande école” system of higher education, Serge Lasvignes spent seven years as a high-school literature teacher, and is said to be a fan of Stendhal and Chateaubriand. The motives behind the appointment are unclear but a government source told The Art Newspaper that it chose “a manager, instead of an art historian, to reinforce the multi-disciplinary mission of the center”.

Alain Seban, a former culture counselor of President Jacques Chirac, was appointed president of the Pompidou eight years ago. Visitor numbers to the Marais museum have since risen by 50%. Four exhibitions drew more than 500,000 visitors each, including the Dali retrospective (2012/2013), which attracted almost 800,000. Seban recently saved a branch of the Pompidou in Metz, which was facing a large shortfall in its annual budget. Another satellite of the museum is opening at the end of March in Malaga, Spain.

Jean-Jacques Aillagon, who headed the Pompidou before becoming culture minister, regrets the constant instability of the post: “Nicholas Serota has been head of the Tate for 27 years now; over that period, the Pompidou Center has had seven presidents”.