Narbonnais who became Montpellier, Claude lives through and for artistic eclecticism.
For twenty-five years, Claude, co-founder of Baston Créative, has been driving the cultural scene in Montpellier and well beyond. Graphic designer, DJ, artistic director and event organizer, he is a fervent defender of authenticity, independence and counterculture.
From mechanical engineering to plastic art
Passionate about drawing, inspired by comics and vintage graphic styles, he had to follow a scientific school path under parental pressure. After a diploma in mechanical and production engineering which did not fulfill him, he resumed studies in visual arts at Paul-Valéry, launching into painting and exhibiting in Montpellier.
The year is 1999. His military service as a conscientious objector led him to work in an art house cinema in Narbonne, his hometown, where he became a socio-cultural facilitator, managing youth programming and communication, the first steps in what would become his future. activity.
Founded in 2018 with Aurélien Codorniou, Baston Créative goes beyond the scope of a traditional communications studio. It is a real platform dedicated to original projects: evenings, exhibitions, cinema, music.
“Bringing diverse audiences together in popular places that are often underestimated”
His philosophy? Celebrate alternative cultures, highlight emerging artists and encourage unexpected collaborations.
Claude’s journey is as atypical as it is inspiring. Marked by the skatepunk and comics, he has developed a unique universe where graphics and commitment intersect. Its initiatives, such as the Barbare evenings at the Ô Saloon bar, bear witness to this vision. “These evenings were designed to bring together diverse audiences in popular places that are often underestimated but essential to urban life”he confides. This meeting, which has been going on for six years, has become a place for intergenerational exchanges around music.
Another success, the Pogo evenings at Rockstore put dance and the public at the heart of the party. “Today, parties too often put the DJ on a pedestal. With Pogo, we brought the DJ Booth back to the dancefloor to reconnect directly with the audience,” Claude believes.
Any projects in progress before leaving for Barcelona?
Despite his attachment to Montpellier, he aspires to new horizons. “Barcelona attracts me with its gentle way of life and its cultural vitality”he explains. But before leaving, he devotes himself to major projects: an exhibition at the Sorting Postal around the successful book wheel by photographer Guillaume Blot, charity evenings like Loud at Black Out and Mala Fama, a community musical project between Montpellier and Barcelona.
For Claude, there is nothing marginal about marginal culture. On the contrary, it is essential for reinventing codes, bringing minds together and nourishing the collective soul.
