FRAC Bretagne, Brittany’s regional contemporary art foundation, was established in Rennes in 2012. It is housed in a purpose-built centre and is a driving force for creative arts in Brittany. FRAC manages a rich collection of over 4,000 works and plays an educational role alongside this, targeting a wide audience. It also has a document library of more than 17,000 items.
Since 2012, the Hélène & Édouard Leclerc Foundation for Culture has occupied the 1,300 sq. m. of space provided by a former convent. The Foundation puts on two exhibitions a year and aims to shine the spotlight on figurative representation from the 1940s to the present day. Retrospectives devoted to Gérard Fromanger, Yann Kersalé and Joan Miro, as well as an exhibition on the theme of the comic strip, have been staged.
Ever since 2008, the Ateliers de Rennes event has been investigating the relationship between art and business. This is the only European show of its kind to put original creations on public display every two years, in various places around the city of Rennes. During the event a series of collective exhibitions are held, with a mixture of emerging and established artists.
Come and explore this internationally famous estate! Kerguéhennec‘s sculpture park, one of the largest in Europe, is set around the estate’s château, stretching over an area of 45 hectares and currently bringing together around 20 works by major artists. Each season the Centre for Contemporary Art, located inside the château, hosts temporary exhibitions.
The ‘Art in the Chapels’ trail has embraced the challenge of transforming Central Brittany’s chapels into venues where contemporary artists express and exhibit their work. Painters and plastic artists have been active in more than 20 chapels scattered across the countryside around Pontivy, turning them all into unique places where visitors can view art from a different perspective in the Blavet valley.
Every year for the last decade, some 15 giant sculptures have occupied the four corners of the extensive grounds of Ar Milin’ in Châteaubourg. These mineral and living sculptures are monumental works, made possible through the patronage of around 18 businesses. The theme of ‘connections’ is developed through the relationships that unite patrons with artists, sculptors with the public, and art with nature.
The 2,000 sq. m. that used to be occupied by the boarding house and classrooms of a former girls’ community school, set high above Huelgoat forest, have been transformed into a space dedicated to the arts. Between June and September, the arts space at the École des Filles brings together authors, artists and personalities through exhibitions and special events involving the public.
Our arts venues are centres for research and creativity and act as springboards for up-and-coming artists. Brittany has three such venues, providing opportunities for encounters with a growing public. Passerelle in Brest, Le Quartier in Quimper and La Criée in Rennes hold exhibitions all year round, along with conferences, debates and also workshops for youngsters.
Art is everywhere in this town on the banks of the river Scorff. The contemporary arts centre, the Atelier d’Estienne, has organised an annual programme of exhibitions for more than 10 years. The Cour des Métiers d’Art is devoted to the decorative arts, and the Pierre de Grauw Centre has drawn together the legacy left to the town by the sculptor. Last but not least, the art trail ‘art, chemin faisant…’ (art along the way) allows you to discover various venues around the town.
Over the years, this Cistercian abbey has remained a magnet for contemporary art, offering a beautiful setting for the works exhibited there. It hosts the biennial ‘Murmures’ exhibition, devoted to the theme of sound, alternating with ‘Sculptures d’ailleurs’ (Sculptures from other places), a sculpture symposium with the focus on Africa. In addition, artists in residence show artwork that harmonises with the setting.
