Hands are at the heart of the exhibition launched on Saturday May 4 at the Maison des Sports, in Nevers, and visible until Sunday June 2. A fresco is also projected every day on the square in front of La Maison. A project linked to the Olympics.
The exhibition “Art and Sport – Hand in hand in hand”, the opening of which took place this Saturday May 4, will be visible in the hall of the Maison des sports until Sunday June 2. A work will also be accessible via a screen, installed on the square in front of La Maison, where a fresco will be projected every day at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
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“Art and Sport – Hand in hand in hand” is part of a national approach, at a time when Paris and France are preparing to host the Olympic Games this summer, since the theme “Art and Sport” is presented in thirteen exhibitions in the territory (one per region, Nevers representing Burgundy-Franche-Comté).
“Democratize contemporary art”
“This project, as its name suggests, combines art and sport,” explains Fabien Danesi, general curator of the exhibition. “The year 2024 will see a huge number of exhibitions on sport flourish. I therefore wanted to consider it differently, as it is, by nature, that is to say a practice. The orientation of each of the thirteen projects was determined by the place of reception.”
“Art and Sport – Hand in hand in hand” is also an ode to diversity. “Contemporary art may seem difficult to access at first glance, even elitist. However, people should not hesitate to take the plunge of discovery. This initiative also aims to democratize this contemporary art, to make it easy to see. access to audiences who are sometimes far from museums and exhibition centers, and thus reduce the divide between urban and rural environments”, adds Fabien Danesi.
Strong anthropological expression
The Nevers exhibition addresses the sense of touch and grip, through eight videos, produced by renowned artists, and each presenting the hands in carrying out different works and tasks. “The hands have long been perceived as a limit to creation for modern contemporary artists, from which it was necessary to emancipate themselves. They have, however, regained their importance, in an era where digital technology is omnipresent. They carry a strong anthropological expression which allows us to question our condition.”
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Entering the hall of the Maison des sports, you can easily see the desired artistic path. The exhibition has also been labeled “Cultural Olympiad” and represents part of the 32,000 works contained by the Regional Contemporary Art Funds (Frac), which are celebrating their fortieth anniversary this year.
Nevers labeled “Land of Games”
“In this Olympic year, Nevers wanted to offer various projects, sporting and extra-sporting, linked to sport,” explains Damien Tijani, director of cultural development for the City of Nevers. “The city is labeled ‘Terre de Jeux’, and the municipality quickly positioned itself, under the leadership of Françoise Hervet (deputy representative for culture), with the Grand Palais, which is at the head of the project.”
For Ariane Orsini, project manager for the Grand Palais RMN (meeting of national museums), “it is important to remember that the Grand Palais RMN brings together a large network of museums, with the Grand Palais as its flagship. But our vocation is also to exhibit in other territories, whether in the provinces or in partner cities (Lille, Marseille, for example).
