Le Dernier Carnaval

On September 22, 2025, Centre Pompidou will close the doors of its iconic building for a five-year major renovation. Since spring 2025, and during the closing, it will display its multidisciplinary program and collection accross France and worlwide through its cultural inititavite, Constellation.

To usher in this new chapter, Centre Pompidou will mark the occasion in the vibrant setting of Art Basel Paris — the definitive gathering of the Parisian art world — with an extraordinary daytime fireworks performance on October 22, conceived by artist Cai Guo-Qiang in collaboration with his custom AI model, cAI™. The Last Carnival will explode across the building’s iconic façade, presenting a never seen performative fresco reflecting Centre Pompidou’s past, present and future. Curator Jérôme Neutres remarks: “For the first time in its history, the Centre Pompidou’s façade becomes a monumental painting. Cai delivers his most profound and complex work yet, in dialogue with both AI and the Parisian public." Far from a nostalgic farewell, The Last Carnival unfolds in three explosive acts—The Banquet, The Dawn of AI, and The Last Carnival—transforming the Pompidou’s closure into a detonation toward the future.

Event Advisory
This 20-minute immersive public performance will include approximately 7 minutes of fireworks, accompanied by colored smoke, intermittent bursts of light, and moderate levels of sound. Fire safety officers and medical staff will be present on site. All pyrotechnic materials used are produced in Europe and comply with European safety standards.