From May 26-31, 2026, Air France is taking part in the exhibition “Hidden Treasures: 250 Years of History Between America and French Luxury”, organized by the Comité Colbert at The Shed cultural center in New York. A member of the institution since 1990, the airline will present, through its exceptional La Première service, a remarkable work by French Chinese artist Zao Wou-Ki from its own heritage collection. Alongside more than sixty French luxury houses, this participation highlights Air France’s place in the world of high-end travel and in promoting French cultural influence.
An exhibition dedicated to 250 years of dialogue between France and the United States
The Hidden Treasures exhibition highlights 250 years of creative resonance and artistic exchange between France and the United States. Through exceptional objects, archive materials and contemporary creations, it traces the lasting influence of French craftsmanship across the Atlantic in the fields of art, luxury, diplomacy and culture.
Through its exceptional La Première service, Air France will exhibit Zao Wou-Ki’s La Première wardrobe doors, created in 1971. Measuring 164 cm high by 124 cm wide, this work held a unique place: it adorned the wardrobe doors in the First-Class cabin of an Air France Boeing 747.
With the arrival of the Boeing 747, then the largest commercial aircraft in the world, Air France launched an ambitious interior design program for the First-Class cabins of this iconic aircraft in the early 1970s, which continued until 1992. Artists from the Nouvelle École de Paris were invited to create works specifically for these spaces. Integrated into the travel experience, Zao Wou-Ki’s work transformed the cabin into a true flying art gallery, offering passengers a unique aesthetic experience. Without realizing it, they travelled on board alongside one of these “hidden treasures” now showcased in the exhibition.
Presented in Chapter 2 of the exhibition, “Crossing Oceans: The Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel and the Movement of People, Ideas and Luxury Goods,” this piece fully embodies the connection between travel, creation and the transport of culture, as Air France prepares to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its first Paris–New York flight.
Air France, a contributor to the international reach of French culture and heritage
By taking part in the Hidden Treasures exhibition alongside more than sixty French luxury houses, Air France is reaffirming its place within France’s cultural and artistic ecosystem on the international stage. Its presence highlights the role the airline plays in promoting France, its heritage and its expertise around the world.
Air France has always maintained close ties with art, creativity and French excellence. This initiative is part of that tradition and continues a story in which the airline does more than connect destinations: it also helps circulate works, ideas and emotions.
From the cabin of a Boeing 747 to the walls of a New York cultural venue, Zao Wou-Ki’s work tells a singular story, that of Air France as a cultural ambassador.
“Beyond the French footprint in the United States, Hidden Treasures celebrates a shared creation. Combining exceptional craftsmanship with creative momentum, the exhibition tells a common story shaped by mutual admiration, cross-influences and the art of reinvention. Guided since 1954 by the conviction that cultural diplomacy is the finest showcase for the French art of living, the Comité Colbert finds here its fullest expression. By bringing to light previously unseen American archives from more than 60 major houses and institutions, Hidden Treasures does more than look to the past: it makes this memory the foundation of our shared future.”
Bénédicte Épinay, Chief Executive Officer, Comité Colbert
“Through its participation in this major exhibition organized by the Comité Colbert, Air France demonstrates its commitment to keeping creativity at the heart of its offering. By presenting to the public for the first time the iconic wardrobe doors from the Boeing 747 First Class cabin created by French Chinese artist Zao Wou-Ki, Air France showcases its enduring ability to reinvent the pleasure of travel for its customers. Today, under the Air France Legend label, the airline highlights more than nine decades of history and a unique and prestigious heritage.”
Fabien Pelous, Executive Vice President Customer Experience, Air France
Air France Cargo’s expertise in transporting exceptional goods
The transport of this work to New York is being handled by Air France Cargo teams, who specialize in shipping sensitive and high-value goods. For the Hidden Treasures exhibition, the airline is also transporting other works on display, illustrating the full extent of its expertise in serving artistic and cultural heritage.
Packaging, insurance, traceability and coordination with specialized freight forwarders: every step is carefully managed to ensure the integrity of the artwork from departure to destination. This expertise builds on other major heritage transport operations carried out by the airline, such as the transport in 2022 of the manuscript of The Little Prince from New York to Paris for an exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and in 2023 of the sarcophagus of Ramses II for the Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition in Paris.
Through this operation, Air France Cargo once again demonstrates its ability to handle the transport of exceptional goods to the highest standards of safety, precision and reliability. Every day, Air France teams organize and carry out the transport of works of art around the world.