English

For centuries, farms in the « Pays Fort » (meaning “Strong Country”) boasted pyramidal barns. Their mysterious presence towers above the hamlets of this small region: they appear now as an emblematic heritage of this territory proud of its strong identity, situated in between the Sologne and Sancerre counties in the Berry province. 

Pyramidal barn at Vailly-sur-Sauldre

The contemporary art course allons voir! aims at bringing a new life to these  typical buildings from the North of the Cher department in France as well as different other buildings typical of rural life in center France : wash houses, silos, farms, etc.

It develops over several villages of this region, and each year a new curator selects the artists.

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allons voir ! sixth edition

The sixth edition of allons voir will take place from July 6th to September 22nd

allons voir ! 5th edition

The fifth edition of allons voir ! took place from July 1st to september 19th 2023. The curator was Yves Sabourin. The invited artists were : Elise Beaucousin, Baptiste Debombourg, Laurent Esquerré, David Marin, Frédérique Petit, Martine Schildge, and two young graduates frome the National Superior School of Art of Bourges : Xiaohan Guo and Florian Lecesve.

Elise Beaucousin

“Steel drawing”, at Concressault’s water house, wood pannel,pins

Baptiste Debombourg

“Vrai Semblant”, at Thou’s wash house, T-shirt, jean, miror, cyanolite, wood,

Laurent Esquerré

“Lampsana communis”, at Joliveau’s pyramidal barn (Assigny), aluminium sheet, metal,

David Marin

“Rotofil”, at Moulin Riche (Concressault), gold , bronze and linen thread over linen cloth

Frédérique Petit

“Huttes”, at Vailly-sur-Sauldre’s pyramidal barn, ceramic, steel

Martine Schildge

“Au fil de l’eau”, at Barlieu’s wash house, 3 photos over aluminium sheet, aluminium sheets

Xiaohan Guo

“ton corps est une extension de mon corps”, atat Dampierre-en-Crot’s microbrewery, ceramic

Florian Lecesve

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allons voir ! 4th edition : A country wedding party

The fourth edition of allons voir ! took place from July 2nd to September 18th 2022. The curator was Sophie Auger Grappin (director of the “Creux de l’Enfer” contemporary art center). The invited artists were : Karine Bonneval, Delphine Ciavaldini, Claude Pasquer, Marjolaine Turpin, Vladimir Skoda as well as two young graduates from the National Superior School of Art of Bourges –Léa Devenelle and Paul Ricci.

Karine Bonneval

Berkanan, 2022, ceramic, sap from birch, copper; canopy : graminaceous, raffia, at Le Moulin Riche (Concressault) photo © Karine Bonneval
Ecouter la terre (Listen to the earth), 2017, oxidised stoneware, earth, speakers, at Vailly-sur-Sauldre pyramidal barn, photo © Olivier Botta

Delphine Ciavaldini

Chahut (Racket), 2022, hay, hemp string, dried flowers, at Le Joliveau pyramidal barn (Concressault), photo © allonsvoir
Chahut (Racket), 2022, hay, hemp string, dried flowers, at Le Joliveau pyramidal barn (Concressault), photo © allonsvoir

Claude Pasquer

Polyrythmie, 2022, acrylic painting on steel plates, at Badineau’s silos (Barlieu), photo © Antonin Martignon
Polyrythmie (detail), 2022, acrylic painting on steel plates, at Badineau’s silos (Barlieu), photo © Olivier Botta

Marjolaine Turpin

Les verres buées (wash time glasses), 2022, glass bowls, ivy, saponin, fern, lavender, at Le Noyers’s wash house, photo © allonsvoir
Les assidues (the assiduous), 2022, ivy, saponin, fern, lavender, waxed coton yarn, linen, at Concressault’s whash house, photo © allonsvoir

Vladimir Skoda

No title, 2019, stainless steel sheet, Ø200 cm, at Vailly-sur-Sauldre pyramidal barn, photo © Olivier Botta
Molecule, 2020, steel , mirror polished steel, Ø 110 cm, at Vailly-sur-Sauldre pyramidal barn, photo © Olivier Botta

Léa Devenelle

No title (backpack), 2022, hessian cloth, wild boar skin, bamboo and strap, at Vailly-sur-Sauldre pyramidal barn, photo © Anne Viala

Paul Ricci

Presque sur le seuil (almost on the door step), charcoal crayon an graphite on paper, seven doors with different materials, at le Moulin Riche (Concressault), photo © Olivier Botta

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allons voir ! 3rd edition : Point(s) of view

The third edition of allons voir ! took place from July 3rd to September 19th 2021. The curator was Gunther Ludwig and the invited artists were : Ladislas Combeuil, Chourouk Hriech, Tsama do Paço, Jeanne Tzaut, Thomas Wattebled as well as two young graduates from the National Superior School of Art of Bourges — Hana Kokolo and Thomas Bontemps – and one from the School of art and design of Tours — Hannah Barantin.

Ladislas Combeuil

Hanging landscapes, 2021, wood, painting, and Wandering rocks from Tony Smith, 2019, wood, linen, rope, at Recy’s pyramidal barn, photo Olivier Botta
Sierpinski, 2016, concrete, diamètre 280 cm, at Joliveau’s pyramidal barn (Vinon), photo Roland Schar

Chourouk Hriech

Sea at Moulin Riche, 2021, photo print on fabric, drawing on tarpaulin, painting, at Moulin Riche (Concressault), photo Chourouk Hriech
Sea at Moulin Riche, 2021, photo allons voir

Tsama do Paço

Me Tangere (detail), 2021, rabbit-skin glue, thread, lead, paper, glass, at Joliveau’s pyramidal barn (Assigny), photo Olivier Botta
She collapses constantly, epidermic version (detail), 2019, water, latex, cotton thread, clay, rubber, dimensions: 200x100x150 cm, at La Clef du Récit winery (Vinon), photo Olivier Botta

Jeanne Tzaut

Streaks (2021), wood, painting, rough cast, several dimensions, at Badineau’s silos (Barlieu), photo Olivier Botta
Stratums, 2021, wood, painting, rough cast, dimensions 175×190 cm, at Vailly-sur-Sauldre’s pyramidal barn, photo Olivier Botta

Thomas Wattebled

Lukewarm, 2021, plasterboard and smoke detectors, dimensions 300x200x120 cm, at Vailly-sur-Sauldre’s pyramidal barn, photo Olivier Botta
I’m waiting that you, 2016, wooden chairs, acrylic painting on plexiglass, at Joliveau’s pyramidal barn (Assigny), photo allons voir

Hannah Barantin

The Room, 2021, felt over silk screen, steel, at Vailly-sur-Sauldre’s pyramidal barn, photo Olivier botta

Thomas Bontemps

Hold up & hands on heart, 2021, publishing of a short story, digital photo prints and lithographies, at Moulin Riche, (Concressault), photo allons voir

Hannah Kokolo

Red and Black from Brazza, 2019, clay,oxydes, at Moulin Riche (Concressault), photo Olivier Botta

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allons voir ! 2nd edition

The artistic direction of the 2020 edition of the event was entrusted to Lucile Encrevé, art critic, and presents only female artists. The invited artists were Dominique De Beir, Ingrid Luche, Nadia Pasquer, and Heidi Wood, as well as two young emerging artists just graduated from the National Superior School of Art of Bourges, Lou Froehlicher and Tifaine Coignoux.

The FRAC Centre Val de Loire also collaborated with the loan of a piece by Maria Mallo: Germen Radiolario.

Germen Radiolario by Maria Mallo, at Vailly-sur-Sauldre pyramidal barn (collection FRAC Centre – Val de Loire

The event took place at the following sites :

Assigny, at the Joliveau farm owned since the 16th century by the Lelièvre family. The pyramidal barn was built in 1505 and is surrounded by several other buildings (housing, stables, workshop) around an old paved yard.

L’échappée Belle : installation by Dominique De Beir at the Joliveau pyramidal barn in Assigny (2020)

Barlieu, at the Badineau silo site: there one can see a modern rural architecture, as a pendent to the historical pyramidal barns.

Point de passage installation by Hedi Wood at the Badineau silo at Barlieu (2020)

Concressault, at the Moulin Riche one enjoys a water-mill, a pyramidal barn (registered as a historical monument), a sheep barn, a bread oven, and housings in a bucolic surroundings planted with century old trees.

Entre ciel et terre : installation by Nadia Pasquer at the Moulin Riche barn in Concressault (2020)
Dièse (detail) : installation by Lou Froehlicher at the Moulin Riche (2020)
Container nuages (detail) : installation by Tifaine Coignoux at the Moulin riche in Concressault (2020)

In Vailly-sur-Sauldre, an old pyramidal barn coming from the neighboring village of Thou has been rebuilt at the entrance of the village, and hosts now the Tourism office and a rural museum.

La Porte d’Optat : installation by Ingrid Luche at Vailly-sur-Sauldre pyramidal barn (2020)

Allons voir! is supported by :

French Ministry of Culture  / Regional Direction for Cultural Affairs (DRAC) Center – Loire Valley

Center –  Loire Valley Region

Cher Department Council (CD18)

Sancerre-Pays Fort-Val de Loire town council community

The city council of Vailly-sur-Sauldre

The city council of Barlieu

The city council of Concressault

Sponsoring

Martignon SAS

It benefits from the collaboration of :

Bourges National Superior School of Art (ENSA Bourges)

FRAC (Regional Fund for Contemporary Art) Center – Loire Valley

Cher Department Tourism Office (Ad2T-Berry Province)

Sancerre-Pays Fort-Val de Loire Tourisme Office