La Contemporaine de Nîmes: Youth, Intergenerational Transmission, and Heritage in Contemporary Society 2024

It is Jean-Paul Fournier, mayor of Nîmes, who launches the festivities. “ Nîmes has maintained a very close link with contemporary art for several decades. Architectural projects have shaped this relationship. The emblem of this approach is undoubtedly Carré d’art, desired by Jean Bousquet, work of the architect Norman Foster. » It is true that Nîmes is rather well positioned when we talk about contemporary art.

« Over the years, Carré d’art has established itself as a temple dedicated to contemporary art thanks, in particular, to its rich collection created by Bob Calle and completed by the three directors who succeeded him, Guy Tosatto, Françoise Cohen and Jean-Marc Prévost. Like a snub to its ancient treasures, Nîmes has become a stronghold of contemporary art in France and Europe. »

For the first councilor, 2024 will be an important year for contemporary art in Nîmes with this first edition which will take place both in public spaces and in museum spaces. La Contemporaine de Nîmes will take over the streets of our city for a year of exceptional creation. “ It is an ambitious, unifying and sustainable project. It will be linked to the history and identity of our city. It will also be fully part of the life of our municipality and its stakeholders. By positioning Nîmes as the epicenter of contemporary creation in 2024, I want, with Sophie Roulle, deputy delegate for Culture, to breathe new life into this momentum that has driven our city for more than 30 years. »

It is precisely Sophie Roulle who takes over: “ I am happy to see all these people, it shows that the project is of interest and I thank you for this support because it is THE cultural project of the mandate. »

Since 2020 the city has been working on the issue. How can we show Nîmes differently by attracting an audience who might never have come there? But we must not forget the people of Nîmes themselves. Those elected to Education, Festivities, Tourism and Ecological Transition are invested as much or almost as Sophie Roulle is in Culture.

« Why hold this triennial of contemporary art in Nîmes? To give another side to the city which is very heritage and cultural, things which make up our identity but Nîmes is not just that. This event will be the bridge between the Nîmes of yesterday and that of tomorrow without opposing them. Everything is complementary as is the case in Arles for photography, in Avignon for theater or in Montpellier for dance. We want an event of regional, national scope, which will bring together around fifty artists. » All of the works will be co-constructed for better local anchoring. The same goes for animations.

Strolls and installations in public spaces, exhibitions in museums, festive weekends and mediation so as not to reject the public potential who remains curious and who wants to understand the artist’s approach. How to do all this? By placing competent people in the organization.

Anna Labouze and Keimis Henni form a duo of artistic directors, exhibition curators, teachers and cultural project leaders. For them, ” It is important to work together to make this premiere a success. The theme of youth and transmission lends itself to many things to talk about today’s world and the state of contemporary creation. We imagine a lot of collective and friendly things, this is the key to the project, we want to bring generations together and ease conflicts by finding solutions. »

The topics addressed ? The youth of yesterday but also that of today, the intimate and family heritage, the relationship between generations, the transmission of knowledge, cultures and stories. Finally, rediscovered childhood will also be discussed. Between the big exhibition The flower and the strengthhighlights, houses and associated programming, things are promising.

For example, let’s talk a little about this big exhibition. 11 or 12 pairs are currently at work. With mentoring, loans of works, collaborations and/or co-creation. A current emerging artist is inspired by the work of another artist. Example ?

Aïda Bruyère and Judy Chicago at the Museum of Bullfighting Cultures, with the participation of plastic arts specialty students from the Alphonse-Daudet high school. Alassan Diawara and Zineb Sedira at the Carré d’art-contemporary art museum in Nîmes and in public spaces, with the participation of local residents and families. Caroline Mesquita and Laure Prouvost on the Place du Chapter, with the participation of students from the Chapter nursery school or even Jeanne Vicerial and Pierre Soulages at the Musée du Vieux Nîmes, with the participation of design and crafts students from the Ernest Hemingway High School.

The artists ? June Balthazard, Rayane Mcirdi, Aida Bruyer, Caroline Mesquita, Ali Cherri, Valentin Noujaim, Sonia Chiambretto, Prune Phi, Judy Chicago, Laure Prouvost, Neila Czermak Ichti, Zineb Sedira, Delphine Deñereaz , Smith, Alassan Diawara, Peter Soulages, Oliver Dubois, Virgil Vernier, Suzanne Husky, Jeanne Vicerial, Tadashi Kawamata and Feda Wardak for the time being.

Where ? At the Nîmes arenas, on avenue Feuchères, at the Carré d’art library, at Carré d’art (contemporary art museum of Nîmes), at the CACN – Contemporary art center of Nîmes, at the Chapelle des Jesuits, at the Natural History Museum, at the Le Sémaphore cinema, at the Jardins de la Fontaine, in the heart of rue Romaine and at the Museums of Romanity, Fine Arts, Old Nîmes and Bullfighting Cultures. In addition, on the Place du Chapter, at the Spot or at the Bernadette-Lafont theater.

The highlights? The event side of this triennial giving pride of place to the living and performing arts, around ten highlights will punctuate the program, revisiting memories of childhood and youth.

Here are some. Examples to follow… The fugue which will be held at the opening of the triennale in the streets of the city, with the conductor and composer Uèle Lamore and students from the Nîmes conservatory. Afterwards ? A real novelty with the boom which will take place in the arenas with the artist Aïda Bruyere, the choreographer Olivier Dubois, plastic arts specialty students from the Lycée Alphonse-Daudet and some 200 amateur dancers.

The theater outing will take place with the artist and performer Ndayé Kouagou and theater specialty students from the Lycée Philippe-Lamour when the fair, at the end of the event, will be organized in Pissevin and at the CACN with the artist Mohamed Bourouissa in the company of several guest artists and community stakeholders from the neighborhood.

As the event promises to be significant, we had to find locations and vary the programming by sharing it. Several cultural venues and artistic initiatives in the city will present programming echoing the theme of this first edition, including. Who ? Carré d’art, the CACN, the École supérieure des Beaux-Arts, the Pamela artist-run space, the Le Sémaphore cinema, the Alphonse-Daudet high school, Da Storm, Nîmes stand out…

Several places outside the city center will relay the triennale, with festive and convivial moments, informative, educational and meeting spaces around Contemporary. They will also host artist residencies who will carry out participatory projects with local residents and structures in the surrounding area.

This is for example the case of Spot, a third place in the Gambetta district which hosts the Green Resistance collective for a shared project to revegetate urban space, or of CACN in the Pissevin district to organize an artistic fair with Mohamed Bourouissa.