Some projects are even extended during the summer.
Inaugurated on April 5, 2024, the first edition of the Contemporaine de Nîmes ended on June 23 after two and a half months punctuated by many highlights. In total, 80,826 visitors attended this new contemporary creation event supported by the City of Nîmes, to which should be added the approximately 96,000 people who came to contemplate the works in the public space. In view of this success, part of the program will continue beyond the summer, at Carré d’Art – Musée d’art contemporain, at the Musée du Vieux Nîmes, at the Musée des Beaux-arts, at the Chapelle des Jésuites and in certain locations of the associated program.
Entitled “A new youth” and designed by the duo of artistic directors Anna Labouze & Keimis Henni, this first edition of the triennial brought together more than 50 artists in 25 locations across the city, and mobilized more than 600 residents of Nîmes , directly involved in the creation of the artistic projects presented.
In view of this success, part of the programme will continue beyond the summer, at Carré d’Art – Musée d’art contemporain de Nîmes, at the Musée du Vieux Nîmes, at the Musée des beaux-arts de Nîmes, at the Chapelle des Jésuites and in certain locations of the associated programme.
The mayor of Nîmes, Jean-Paul Fournier declared “The Contemporaine de Nîmes has found its audience. It has allowed Nîmes to position itself on an innovative cultural axis, to benefit from very significant press coverage in France and abroad, and therefore to diversify its tourist appeal. This event has managed to find a place in our calendar. 31 years after the opening of Carré d’Art, Nîmes continues to forge its links with contemporary art.”
Then Sophie Roulle, deputy delegate for culture, adds “With the Contemporaine de Nîmes, the City has succeeded in creating a large-scale cultural event with national and international influence. Today, and undoubtedly even more so given the tense national political context, culture is essential because it brings together and unites audiences. Due to the quality of the works offered and the very positive feedback from some 50,000 visitors to the museums, Nîmes has regained a major place on the national scene of artistic creation in all its forms. It is now up to us to include La Contemporaine de Nîmes in its second edition! »
As a reminder, the Contemporaine de Nîmes is a new triennial of contemporary creation supported by the City of Nîmes. Every three years from 2024, an extract of today’s art is presented across the city, around a major theme. Public spaces, monuments, heritage sites, museums, cultural and everyday places are thus taken over by recognized and emerging artists from the French and international scene, from all disciplines and all generations. Each edition of La Contemporaine is an invitation to discover and explore current creation and Nîmes differently, within the framework of a program that is both demanding, generous and accessible.
