– Partners –
Museum life
In Nîmes, the director of Carré d’Art, Jean-Marc Prévost, leaves his position at the end of November
Credit: city of Nîmes_Dominique_Marck
After twelve years as director of the Nîmes contemporary art museum, Jean-Marc Prévost leaves his position at the end of November.
In the interview he gave to Stéphane Cerri for Midi Libre, the director believes that in the current context, the museum “is courted by major international galleries who would like to show their artists there”.
Before leaving, the director designed the exhibitions which will mark the 2025 season, dedicated to Brazilian artists, the year of Brazil.
Nominations are open for his succession.
- Jean-Marc Prévost completed his higher education at Paris-I-La Sorbonne then at the National Heritage School. In 1992, he took over the management of the Departmental Museum of Contemporary Art in Rochechouart (Haute-Vienne). He replaced Guy Tosatto who created the museum in 1985 and who precisely joined Bob Calle in Nîmes to open the Carré d’art.
Before taking over the management of Carré d’Art (thus succeeding Françoise Cohen), he was an inspector at the Permanent Mission for Inspection, Advice and Evaluation of Artistic Creation at the Ministry of Culture. He was the visual arts curator of the Paris Autumn Festival in 2005.
He is the author of several works on contemporary art and exhibition catalogs which have notably taken place at the Rochechouart Departmental Museum and the Castres Contemporary Art Center. - In a year and a half, there has been a significant renewal in the management of the region’s major museums: After the arrival of Jean-Roch Dumont as director of the Céret museum in June 2023, (replacing Nathalie Galissot), then the change of management at Abattoirs in Toulouse at the end of 2024 (Lauriane Gricourt succeeding Annabelle Ténèze), this will then be Michel Hilaire’s turn to hand over the management of the Fabre Museum in Montpellier, after a final exhibition organized for the summer 2025 and which will be dedicated to Pierre Soulages.
What are some key challenges faced by museum directors in managing contemporary art collections, as discussed by Jean-Marc Prévost and Michel Hilaire in the interview?
As the website editor for world-today-news.com, I am pleased to present an exclusive interview with two guests, Jean-Marc Prévost, the outgoing director of Carré d’Art in Nîmes, and Michel Hilaire, the incoming director of the Fabre Museum in Montpellier, regarding their respective departures and the current state of museum management in the region.
Guest 1: Jean-Marc Prévost, Outgoing Director of Carré d’Art, Nîmes
World Today News: Could you tell us more about your background and journey to becoming the director of Carré d’Art in Nîmes?
Jean-Marc Prévost: Certainly! After graduating from Paris-I-La Sorbonne and the National Heritage School, I began my career at the Rochechouart Departmental Museum in Haute-Vienne, where I worked under the guidance of Guy Tosatto. In 2000, I became the director of Carré d’Art, succeeding Françoise Cohen. During my tenure, I’ve overseen numerous exhibitions and contributed to the growth and development of the museum’s contemporary art collection. In addition, I’ve been an inspector at the Permanent Mission for Inspection, Advice, and Evaluation of Artistic Creation at the Ministry of Culture and served as the visual arts curator for the Paris Autumn Festival in 2005.
World Today News: What have been some of the highlights of your time as director of Carré d’Art?
Jean-Marc Prévost: One of the highlights has been the opportunity to work with renowned artists such as Anish Kapoor, Bernar Venet, and Miquel Barceló. It’s been very enriching to engage with their creative processes and bring their work to life for our visitors. Another significant achievement has been the expansion of our collection, including pieces by artists like Pierre Soulages, Christo, and Maurizio Cattelan. We’ve also managed to maintain strong relationships with local artists and participate in events like the International Print Biennale in 2019.
World Today News: You mentioned that Brazilian artists will be the focus for the 2025 season. Can you give us more information about this
