François Mathey

François Mathey (1917–1993) was a French writer, art historian, and museum curator. He served as curator, and later chief curator, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where he played a decisive role in redefining the institution as a major site for modern and contemporary art.

Appointed curator in 1953 and later becoming chief curator in 1967, a position he held until 1985, Mathey organized more than 350 exhibitions over the course of his career. Through this sustained activity, he transformed the museum into one of the most dynamic venues for contemporary artistic production in postwar Paris. As one contemporary observer noted, Mathey was “in the process of turning the Musée des Arts Décoratifs […] into one of Paris’s most lively venues.”

Mathey’s curatorial programme combined major retrospectives with experimental exhibitions that challenged conventional distinctions between fine art, design, and object culture. In 1962, he organized Antagonismes II : l’Objet, bringing together approximately 150 artists and nearly 500 objects. The exhibition was widely recognized for its conceptual ambition: Pierre Restany emphasized its character as an “anti-functionalist manifesto,” positioning it against the dominance of functionalist aesthetics in postwar applied arts.

Mathey also played a crucial role in introducing and consolidating the presence of modern and contemporary artists within the museum context.

Notably, these exhibitions were accompanied by innovations in exhibition practice, including the introduction of structured press services, which contributed to the increased visibility of contemporary art and the institutionalization of communication strategies around exhibitions.

Through his curatorial work, Mathey expanded the role of the museum beyond the preservation of decorative arts, positioning it as a space for experimentation and dialogue across disciplines. His approach supported new artistic forms and contributed to the broader redefinition of exhibition practices in postwar Paris.