On the Esplanade des Fontaines, in the heart of Montauban, the statue of the dying Centaur by sculptor Antoine Bourdelle has been appealing to passers-by since yesterday. For good reason, it was decorated by two artists as part of their cultural event “Castan en sa ville”.
Visual artist Michel Battle and photographer Patricia Huchot-Boissier have installed some unusual decorative elements on the monument. All supervised by Jacmé Gaudas, president of the association “Castan en sa Ville”: “It’s a dressing within the framework of a baroque action”.
Indeed, the work is part of two interventions carried out by artists, which take place in the city until Saturday.
A demonstration linked to the siege of Montauban
400 years ago, the city of Ingres suffered a siege of which it is celebrating its anniversary. For the occasion, the Carrefour Castan association wanted to highlight the ideas of Félix Castan, Occitan author and thinker. “Since last Thursday, we have set up an exhibition in connection with the siege of Montauban, which had been presented by André Benedetto in 1974 on the National Square, with a theatrical work of the Occitanie festival, founded by Félix Castan”, testifies the head of the association for the promotion of Occitan culture.
Thus, the Centaur is not the only historic monument in the city to have been “dressed” as part of the event. The Olympe-de-Gouges theater has become the heart of the cultural event for a week. “The two exhibitions aim to put Felix Castan back in his city and to highlight his works. The first exhibition shows photographs and documents from the time (The siege seen by André Benedetto) and the second will take place on Saturday with a forum on the identity of the city (The will of a City)”, specifies Jacmé Gaudas. The opportunity for Montalbanais to discover strange works of art in the city center.
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