Summer exhibitions
Contemporary art in the spotlight
We have missed them so much! As we enter the summer season and celebrate the return of cultural outings there is nothing quite like a fun and informative trip to a summer exhibition.
We’re all desperate to get to know or rediscover artists inspired by legendary places or completely dedicated to letting our eyes and mind escape the real world. So here is our selection of must-see exhibitions dedicated to contemporary artists.
Villa Datris celebrates its 10th anniversary
Art both indoors and in the gardens
In l’Isle-sur-la Sorgue, the Villa Datris Foundation, an exceptional place dedicated to contemporary sculpture, revisits its exhibitions from the last 10 years through a series of works personally selected by Danièle Kapel-Marcovici in celebration of sculpture. As part of a programme of original and joyful activities (concerts, guided tours, open-air cinema, etc.), 32 sculptures will be positioned in the building and gardens of the Villa, which stands on the edge of Sorgue, among them: the world of Rina Banerjee as a hymn to Indian culture, the refined steel and aluminium creations of Marina Apollonio, and Alice Anderson’s exploration of physical relationships between objects and spaces, showcased by her weaving technique.
Visits
Guided tours open to everyone: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 16:00 in July and August
Night-time visits: 17th and 31st July – 14th and 28th August
Fun visits: every Friday from 11:00-12:00
Yan Pei-Ming, Tigers and Vultures
Dates
Up until the 12th September at the Collection Lambert
Up until the 31st January 2022 at the Palais des Papes
Guided tours every Sunday at 14:30 until the 26th September Duration: 2h30 – limited to 30 participants
Des Hommes et des portraits
This double exhibition is certainly not to be missed, especially since the portraits of Yan Pei-Ming will be honoured at the Popes’ Palace as well in the well-lit rooms of the Lambert Collection. Born in Shanghai in 1960, and resident of France since the 80’s, the Franco-Chinese artist found his fame thanks to his immense monochrome portrait, the most famous of which depict Mao Zedong, Bruce Lee or Barack Obama.
This year, he created a monumental and exclusive three-part work, featuring the Papacy in Avignon, in the Great Chapel of the Popes’ Palace. To echo this, he has also completed an exhibition at the Lambert collection, featuring a wide selection of portraits of politicians, contemporary philosophers and anonymous dating from the 1980s to the present day.
The scattered works of Vasarely
Remarkable Gordes!
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vasarely Foundation, the two parts of this exhibition will follow one another in places emblematic of the artist: the Château de Gordes (former Vasarely Didactic Museum) until 31st October 2021, a source of inspiration for the artist for many years, and then the Centre Architectonique d’Aix-en-Provence from 10th November 2021 to 8th May 2022.
Through a rich collection of archival documents, original works, texts and photographs, this exhibition recalls the circumstances of the creation of the didactic museum in 1971 and more particularly the period known as “Gordes Cristal”, and the major turning point made by the painter’s “encounter” with the village during his journey towards abstraction. It also illustrates a more personal aspect of his life and his workshop at Les Devens in Gordes.
Did you know?
In 1947, Hungarian artist Vasarely discovered the village of Gordes. Residing for a time at the Château, he created a foundation to restore it and installed his works there in 1970. Closed in 1996, Vasarely’s creations are now housed in the Architectonic Centre of Aix en Provence.
“Regards de lumière” (Glances of light)
Monumental sculptures at the ancient sites of Vaison-la-Romaine
The ancient sites of Puymin and La Villasse will host the giant sculptures of contemporary artist Francis Guerrier all summer long. Among the Roman remains, the works reproduce the aesthetics of the curves, moons, and spirals of Mother Nature.
Everyday until the 30th of August
5 simultaneous exhibitions at the Hotel d’Agar
Up until the 19th September in Cavaillon
A renowned cabinet of curiosities in Vaucluse, this summer the Hotel d’Agar has five exhibitions to discover, ranging from prehistoric to contemporary art:
– 2021-1721: Ridding France of the Plague! By returning to the time of the Marseille plague via an unprecedented collection of works and archives, the topic of the epidemic is addressed in this exhibition.
– Claude Mellan: The mind begins and ends at your fingertips
– Peiresc Ivory – Barberini: the secrets of a masterpiece
New discoveries concerning the most important works of Byzantine art preserved at the Louvre Museum.
– Caravaggio and David Nebreda: the aesthetics of the extreme
– Claude Mollard: the spirits of the Hotel d’Agar
Presentation of the photographic origins of Claude Mollard, discovered in the collections of the Hotel d’Agar.
Did you know?
With its remarkable garden and Roman temple, located in the heart of the ancient city of Cavaillon, The Agar Mansion is registered as a Historical Monument.
“Blue Lagoon”
Did you know?
It was to the foot of the Philippe le Bel tower that the Pont d’Avignon (also called Pont Saint – Bénezet) stretched when it first crossed the Rhône. Today only 4 arches remain out of the original 22.
Dive into the world of Pablo Garcia until September 19
As part of his residency in Villeneuve-les-Avignon, artist Pablo Garcia takes on the role of exhibition curator and presents, at the Philippe le Bel tower, works he selected from the collections of the FRAC Occitanie Montpellier. Open every day except Mondays from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 18:00.