Visiting the Fondation Carmignac on the island of Porquerolle in the Var is a journey in itself. The change of scenery begins at the pier at the foot of the Tour Fondue on the Giens peninsula in Hyères (Var). The shuttle boat, packed with tourists and locals, drops us off 20 minutes later at the port of Porquerolles. Count another 623 steps to reach an old farmhouse converted into a villa in the 1980s, where architect Henri VIDAL (inventor of the building material "terre armée") settled. Between the vineyards of the Domaine de la Courtade and the sculpture garden, the site offers a wonderful opportunity to escape, as François-Joseph Fournier discovered as early as 1920, according to William Luret's biography of "L'homme de Porquerolles ".
Mr. Edouard CARMIGNAC exposed to the general public last June for the first time, the best of his corporate art collection. Creator of an investment fund and ranked 50th French fortune, this lover of modern and contemporary arts has frequented a certain Jean-Michel BASQUIAT who realized his portrait (work exposed in the first room).
So I couldn't miss the first guided tour organized by the association Art d'Azur this month.
The villa and its fittings were built entirely in accordance with the regulations. For this reason, almost 2,000 m2 had to be excavated to gain a cross-shaped space for exhibitions.
From the outside, the roof blends into the sky with the blue tiles and follows the shape of the hill in the distance. In the center of the interior building, the sun's rays pass through a "water ceiling" to be reflected on vertical surfaces in a room dedicated to the observation of this natural movement. The state of the art of architectural technology has been put at the service of a poetic vision of natural phenomena.
At what point, in our stressed lives, do we take the time to observe the movement of air, water and light? Taking a few minutes out of the world in this restful place, coming back to it between two exhibition rooms, allows us to simply recharge our batteries.
Some works have been commissioned to the artists according to a defined space or, conversely, the room has been arranged according to the work already acquired. This is the case for Miquel Barcelò and Bruce Nauman.
Welcomed by a glass of fresh water infused with a stick of natural anise, Miquel Barcelò's Alyscatre, welcomes visitors. According to the article published last June in Le Point by Julien Bordier, it is a legendary dragon, a local figure.
Our certified guide now invites us to take off our shoes to feel the natural flow under our feet and to explore our emotions.
With a free spirit, we admire the works of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Mark Rothko, Miquel Barcelò, Bruce Nauman and many other discoveries.
A surprise awaits us at the corner of an exhibition room with the presentation of a Venus by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1520). This work, on loan from an Italian museum, takes on a new dimension in this contemporary environment. In order to accompany the Foundation's latest acquisition: a Madonna and Child, made by the Master's workshop, the two works mark a very strong link in art history between the artists.
To finish with the comments on modern and contemporary art that would not be considered as Art; one word of order "visit the Carmignac Foundation" and we will talk about it again!
