On 6th May 2015 Culturespaces will open the doors of the Art Centre of the Hôtel de Caumont. Located a few steps away from the Cours Mirabeau at the former Hôtel de Caumont, a jewel of the eighteenth century currently undergoing restoration, this new cultural institution will quicken the heartbeat of Aix- en-Provence.
The cultural programming of the Art Centre of the Hôtel de Caumont will highlight the Fine Arts, with two major temporary exhibitions every year dedicated to the world’s greatest masters - from ancient art to modern painting. For its inaugural exhibition, from 6th May to 13th September 2015, the art centre of the Hôtel de Caumont will present a retrospective entitled Canaletto, Rome - London - Venice. The triumph of light.
Apart from painting, other art forms will benefit from the privileged setting of the Art Centre of the Hôtel de Caumont. From the outset, continuous screenings of a newly produced film dedicated to Paul Cézanne will take place in the auditorium of the Art Centre, and starting in the autumn of 2015 concerts, artistic performances and forums will be scheduled. Moreover, with a terrace overlooking the shady gardens, the café-restaurant at the Caumont – Art Centre will offer a pleasant stopover right in the heart of the Mazarin district.
Caumont – Art Centre, in an ancient mansion undergoing full restoration
To host this new art centre, an extensive program of repair work and development is currently in progress over the entire 2,500 m2 surface of the Hôtel de Caumont. The façade, the interiors and the gardens are undergoing an exemplary restoration, supported by the State and by the City of Aix-en- Provence. 300 years after the first stone was laid, this remarkable building, classified as historic monument, will open a new page of its cultural history.
This is the first time that Culturespaces has acquired a location for the creation of a new arts centre. “It is our ambition that by virtue of its artistic programming the Caumont – Art Centre will assert itself as a major venue in the cultural life in Aix-en-Provence and South of France: a place where one can discover and share art, music and dance with passion”, announced Bruno Monnier, President of Culturespaces.
“Thanks to the ambitious program of renovation that we are undertaking at the Hôtel de Caumont, we are going to create an exceptional visitor experience at this Art Centre. On this occasion, we are delighted to restore all the splendour inherited from the 18th century to this jewel of Aix’s heritage, to transform it into an institution dedicated to the arts, vibrant and open”.
For over 20 years, Culturespaces has embellished, animated and wholly managed the monuments, museums and heritage sites that have been entrusted to it by public institutions. The majority are located
in the south: the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the Villa Kérylos at Beaulieu-sur- Mer, the Carrières de Lumières and the Château des Baux-de-Provence, the Amphitheatre of Nimes, as
well as the Roman Theatre of Orange. Each year Culturespaces with its 250 collaborators, welcomes in 13 monuments and museums over 2.5 million visitors.
A rich cultural program, developed by Culturespaces
The conception of a diverse program with a constant emphasis on quality and innovation is the main preoccupation of Sophie Aurand-Hovanessian, head of cultural programming and exhibitions at the Art Centre of the Hôtel de Caumont. She explains: “The art displayed in the exhibitions should stir the visitors and open new horizons of curiosity for them. Innovating in order to surprise, developing novel approaches to deepen artistic knowledge, these are our cultural ambitions at the Caumont – Art Centre. On each occasion we want to offer a new experience to our visitors and enhance their journey thanks to a scenography capable of providing multiple viewpoints on the subject by means of sound, music, images, video, interactive technologies... More than just a venue for exhibitions, Caumont – Art Centre is a place where art comes alive."
Thus each year the programming of the Art Centre of the Hôtel de Caumont will revolve around two large scale temporary exhibitions. In parallel, a film depicting the life of Cézanne in the Aix region will be shown every day, and concerts, musical performances and conferences will round off the program of events at the Caumont – Art Centre.
Spotlight on Canaletto for the inaugural exhibition
Caumont – Art Centre is preparing its inaugural exhibition: Canaletto - Rome, London, Venice. The Triumph of Light, from 6th May to 13th September 2015. On this occasion, a remarkable selection of masterpieces of 18th century Venetian painting, ranging from very large format canvases to intimate drawings, has been assembled by the general curator of the exhibition, Bozena Anna Kowalczyk, with the support of renowned international museums. The greatest international museums have granted their support. Among them: the Royal Collection and the National Gallery of London, the Metropolitan Museum of New York, the Uffizi Gallery of Florence as well as the Ca’Rezzonico of Venice.
