From 11 April to 7 September 2025, Air France is a partner of the exhibition “Georges Mathieu – geste, vitesse, mouvement”, hosted by the Monnaie de Paris in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou. A unique opportunity to explore a retrospective of the artistic career of the inventor of lyrical abstraction, including his series of posters created for the airline in 1967.
The “Georges Mathieu” exhibition pays tribute to one of the most singular and prolific artists of the second half of the XXth century, from his early work in the post-war years to his creations of the mid-1980s. With his pictorial language, expressive gestures and visual dynamism, Georges Mathieu brought a touch of modernity to artistic creation of the time. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, he sought out new encounters and experiences. Visitors can discover some forty paintings, mainly from the Centre Pompidou collection, alongside a selection of his medals and coins from the Monnaie de Paris collection, as well as from other major public and private collections, notably those of Air France.
One of the exhibition rooms features a series of posters created for the company, showcasing the wealth of its heritage. In 1966, Air France commissioned a series of advertising posters from Georges Mathieu. These works were intended to promote the main destinations in the airline’s extensive global network, including France, as well as Egypt, the United States, Japan and India. To enable everyone to easily identify the countries represented at a simple glance, Mathieu’s compositions capture the very essence of each destination. Some fifteen original posters were published the following year in 1967, illustrating the extent of the artist’s influence beyond his paintings.
Air France posters signed by Georges Mathieu
To celebrate the event, Air France is reissuing of a selection of posters by Georges Mathieu, so that everyone has the chance to acquire these works of art that have marked the history of the airline. They will start going on sale from the end of April on the shopping.airfrance.com website and at selected sales outlets.
For over 90 years, posters have played a central role in the Air France universe, inspiring dreams of travel and faraway destinations. With a heritage of over 1,500 works designed by the most prestigious illustrators through the ages, the company has one of the greatest collections in the world.
In partnership with Air France, the “Georges Mathieu” exhibition is part of the “Constellation” programme, an off-site art exhibit initiative by the Centre Pompidou during its closure for renovation, which aims to present works from the national collection via prestigious institutions.