Summer exhibitions and art venues to discover in the Provence countryside

05/17/2024

With its authentic villages, its rich colours and its very special artistic lumière, the Provence countryside is a significant place of inspiration for artists and art lovers. Today, there are dozens of museums, historical monuments, art centres, estates and chateaux that celebrate art with exhibitions running all summer long. From Châteauvert to Le Muy, Cotignac, Flassans-sur-Issole, Le Thoronet or even Draguignan, follow an art journey through unique and stunning locations less than 60km from Lou Calen.

La Falaise Art Centre in Cotignac

A true centre dedicated to the arts, this spot nestled in the heart of Cotignac brings high-end art to the local people and presents two exhibitions a year alongside an eclectic program of concerts and conferences.

NUNAN & CARTWRIGHT

from 29th June to 26th October 2024

Shona Nunan and Michael-Francis Cartwright are an internationally-recognised pair of Australian artists based in Correns. They will exhibit their majestic works here this summer. Michael-Francis’s work leans towards spontaneity, as he explores the journey of life in his paintings and sculptures, specialising in freedom and equilibrium. Shona’s work focuses on the earth and our belonging to it, crafting bronze and plaster to create symbolic pieces of art.

The Contemporary Art Centre of Châteauvert

A black metal cube structure overlooking a sunny meadow and bordered by the Argens River, this art centre invites you to wander between its temporary exhibitions and the sculptures that fill out the rich gardens.

PARADE, BY PIERRE ARDOUVIN

from 29th June to 1st December 2024

The visual artist Pierre Ardouvin take a carte blanche attitude to his creativity. Since the 1990s, he has cultivated his art to reflect on the culture of spectacle, and the memory of the great emancipations from the 1960s and the fate of popular rites in the context of cultural industrialisation. His work presents a unique set of burlesque sculptures, as rope dancers, representing the perilous crossing of a disrupted landscape and questioning us about our own human condition.

Thoronet Abbey

Famous for its architecture and its exceptional acoustics, this Cistercian abbey dates from the 12th century and offers a rich programme of concerts and exhibitions.

ECHOES OF THE FRANCOPHONY

from 5^th July to 13^th October 2024

This exhibition will attempt to bring the Cistercian asceticism of Le Thoronet’s Abbey into dialogue with the sobriety inspired by Malagasy photography, as part of the 19th Francophony Summit. Madagascar is a pioneer in the development of African photography: from the end of the 19th century, Malagasy photographers opened their studios and worked regularly in the main cities of the “Big Island” of Madagascar.

Commandery of Peyrassol in Flassans-sur-Issole

In its true wine-growing setting, the Commanderie de Peyrassol combines contemporary art and the art of living. The Philippe Austruy collection is set in amongst the vineyards and general vegetation, offering a wonderful art journey.

IN COLOUR, BERTRAND LAVIER

from 1^st April to 3^rd November 2024

In this monographic exhibition by Bertrand Lavier, a major French artist of international renown, he celebrates the wide prism of colour, from its symbolism to its materiality. This exhibition shows around twenty iconic works, both recent or unpublished, which demonstrates the artist’s singular approach towards popular objects and traditional clichés of modern art.

HDE Var in Draguignan

In a 19th century building, the “The Var Exhibition Department House” gives two exhibitions a year, inviting the public to discover the history of civilisations, in partnership with major museum institutions across Europe.

THE SILK ROADS: BETWEEN FOOTPRINTS AND DREAMS

from 22^nd June to 29^th September 2024

Important routes of trade and exchange between Asia and the West from the 2nd century BC to the Middle Ages, the Silk Roads have always inspired a true fascination in the creative imagination. This exhibition aims to explore and compare the various representations that the Silk Roads embody – with the material, artistic and historical elements that make up its existence.

Venet Foundation in Le Muy

A gallery alongside a seven-hectare open air arena bring together more than fifty years of artistic creation, gathered together by the the sculptor and great collector of minimal art, Bernar Venet.

INSIDE OUT, STEFAN BRÜGGEMANN

from 1^st June to 30^th September 2024

On the 10th anniversary of the Venet Foundation, Mexican artist Stefan Brüggemann presents his second monographic exhibition in France, echoing the history of the foundation which houses the art collection of Diane and Bernar Venet. The artist uses the gallery space as a sculpture in itself while creating new enigmatic entrances and exits through minimalist stainless steel doors.

Other must-see art venues:

Domaine du Muy

In 2014 gallery owner Jean-Gabriel Mitterrand with his son Edward created a private park dedicated to monument or architectural sculpture, nestled between the Maures and Esterel mountains.

Château de Fabrègues

Interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch has given new life to this 17th century castle, mixing contemporary art, design pieces and 17th century elements.

Château La Coste

38 magificent art installation masterpieces await you across four galleries in the midst of wild nature. You are invited to step into this unique experience surrounded by 124 hectares of vineyards.

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