In the heart of Val-de-Dagne, a stone’s throw from Carcassonne, there is an unusual place: Coop-art, an art center installed in the former cooperative cellar of the village of Serviès-en-Val, created by the internationally renowned artist, Philippe Aïni.
When you first enter the Coop-art, you are first impressed by the immensity of the place. Installed in one of the largest cooperative cellars in the territory, there is a strong impression of space. Once the surprise has passed, the eye is then drawn to the abundance of works exhibited. It must be said that the artist Philippe Aïni is no novice in this field. In 50 years of career, he has created more than 13,000 works; exhibited all over the world and collaborated with internationally renowned artists: “I worked in the United States, exhibited in Russia, did TV shows; for a while, I even created dresses and had the opportunity to meet Christian Lacroix, Jean-Paul Gaultier… I also made theater sets, bathrooms (molded from women’s bodies), an army of a hundred life-size characters… “.
A visionary creator
Philippe Aïni is a jack-of-all-trades, an unclassifiable creator who follows his instinct and above all his visions: “They appear to me at any time, even with my eyes open.“. From his visions are born works of all kinds on all types of media, but always with his favorite material: “I use mattress stuffing, the stuffing you sleep on. It’s like flesh, the glue becomes blood and the paint becomes skin.“His works, most often large formats, have sometimes been censored and have drawn the wrath of critics, such as the monumental fresco in the church of Flines-les-Rachez in the north of France, a biblical representation of ninety naked figures: “Critics trashed the work, they wanted to destroy it, but I received the support of artists like Jacques Higelin, Albert Jacquard and Jacques Toubon who was then Minister of Culture, and it was able to be saved.“. Self-taught and provocative, the man is a visionary, who first worked with the material for a few years as a pastry chef, before devoting himself entirely to his art, driven by a limitless inner force.
An atypical place
Both a painter and a visual artist, he also developed a passion for wood sculpture: “I live part of the year between Thailand and Burma, I discovered fabulous woods“. Unusually, the artist even recovered cactus feet and shark bones, which he quickly transformed into works of art: “These are old bone shark noses kept by villagers, which were given to me“. So many creations that we find at the Coop-art of Serviès-en-Val: “I set up this place eight years ago to bring another form of creation to people. Some of my works are exhibited there and I invite world-famous artists every year. I also exhibit lesser-known people, as long as they speak to me. More than artists, I look for creators who have something to say.” This is the case of Marie Maurel, who is currently exhibiting and this until Sunday October 6. Just like Philippe Aïni, her art delivers messages. With great attention to detail and delicacy in the creation of her works, she addresses serious societal themes, such as the death of migrants at sea, violence against women, the homeless, wealth inequality, the destruction of nature, gender relations, etc. In short, the public will not come away unscathed from their visit, as the works exhibited at Coop-art are unlike any other.
