Curator Jean-Marc Prevost has been director of the museum since 2012. He succeeded Robert Calle, Guy Tosatto, and Françoise Cohen. In this video, he presents the museum, its acquisition policy for the collection, and its thematic or monographic exhibition policy.
Richard LONG, "Mud Line", 1990Carré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
Richard Long, Mud Line, 1990
Before the museum opened, major artists were commissioned to create site-specific works. Mud Line by Richard Long unfolds on a large vertical concrete wall. The work is comprised of marks made by the artist's hands in kaolin clay applied to a line of black paint.
Ellsworth Kelly, Gaul, 1993
Ellsworth Kelly designed the sculpture entitledGaulspecifically for the Carré d'Art entrance hall. Its slender 20-foot (6-m) high opaque silhouette emphasizes the transparency of the glass and the concrete architecture.
A monumental staircase
Fascinated by the interior courtyards of buildings in Nîmes, the architect Norman Foster organized the spaces around a central void and glass staircases. "A covered courtyard is at the very heart of the project. It plays on the transparency and lightness of modern materials, especially glass, allowing light to flood all floors."
Ugo Rondinone, SUNRISE. east. October, 2005
The work Sunrise. east. October by Ugo Rondinone entered the museum's collection in 2015, and belongs to a set of 12 sculptures each named after a month of the year Like a totemic figure, it greets visitors at the top of the monumental glass staircase.
Vue des salles d'exposition du deuxième étageCarré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
A transparent floor
The rooms on the second floor are devoted to the display of the permanent collection. A new space called the Project Room is dedicated to temporary exhibitions. The works from the collection can be seen from the central staircase and the windows are equipped with blinds to filter and protect the most fragile works from natural light.
Vue des salles d'exposition du troisième étageCarré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
The exhibition spaces
The annual exhibitions of the permanent collection provide new insights and allow visitors to discover new acquisitions. Twice a year, a solo show and a group exhibition are presented in the temporary exhibition space. In total, there is over 32,000 square feet (3,000 square m) of exhibition space on two floors.
Atelier du muséeCarré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
A studio for kids
The museum's studio is designed for visual arts activities. Its furniture was redesigned by designer Matali Crasset in 2015. The Petite Pousse (Little Shoot) project is built around a leaf-shaped pair of commas, which serve as a module to build a three-dimensional universe.
Le centre de documentation spécialisé en art contemporainCarré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
A document center specialized in contemporary art
The Bob Calle Documentation Center holds nearly 30,000 documents on modern and contemporary art from 1960 to the present day. This specialized documentary library focuses on visual arts, architecture, photography, fashion, dance, design, video, and digital art.
An art bookstore
The museum bookstore sells books on modern and contemporary art, art essays, and a selection of books for young readers. It regularly organizes meetings and book signings. Artists' editions complement the temporary exhibition publications.
Carré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain - Nîmes - www.carreartmusee.com
Navigart: https://www.navigart.fr/carredart/artworks
Centre de documentation Bob Calle: https://carreartmusee.centredoc.fr/index.php
Realization: Carré d'art - Musée
Iconography: Photo C. Eymenier ; © Ugo Rondinone ; © ADAGP ; © Ellsworth Kelly Foundation
