"GRATALOUP Museum: An enchanting journey into contemporary art in the heart of the Chevreuse Valley"
Housed in the chapel of the Saint-Saturnin Priory, in the heart of the historic center of Chevreuse, the Grataloup Museum is a true gem of contemporary art that attracts art enthusiasts from the Chevreuse Valley region as well as Parisians in search of an artistic getaway on weekends. This museum, inaugurated in March 2022, offers a program of exhibitions that pay tribute to the work of Grataloup, a painter born in 1935 in Nantua, as well as to all the great artists who contributed to the emergence of contemporary art in France in the 1960s.
A place steeped in history
The Saint-Saturnin Priory possesses a centuries-old heritage, imbued with stories. Founded in the 10th century, it has witnessed numerous transformations over time. Once a place of worship, it later served as a residence, then as a place of commerce and artist's workshop, before becoming the Grataloup Museum, a center for contemporary art, in 2022.
In 1989, artist Grataloup established his home-studio in Chevreuse. In 2011, he was invited by the architect in charge of the renovation of the site, Pascal Chovin, to contribute to the embellishment of the chapel. He then designed three contemporary stained glass windows, which are now central elements of the Grataloup Museum's chapel. These stained glass windows, created in collaboration with the Ateliers Loire, master glassmakers in Chartres for over three generations, demonstrate an avant-garde artistic approach. Grataloup's innovative approach in their design is characterized by cut glass and collages, freed from traditional lead, allowing the viewer a comprehensive and pure vision. Grataloup's stained glass windows, with their subtle play of colors, materials, and shapes, create a magical atmosphere in the chapel, offering a unique visual experience to museum visitors.
An artistic journey throughout the seasons
Since its opening in March 2022, the Grataloup Museum has been experiencing growing success, offering each year a diverse program of exhibitions that showcase the great masters of contemporary art, with a particular focus on painters who shaped contemporary art in the 1960s. Currently, the museum is embarking on its third season.
Summer/Fall 2022
The exhibition titled "Sky and Earth" shines a light on the latest works by the painter Grataloup, created before his passing in January 2022. It was a precious opportunity for visitors to contemplate the final creations of this great artist, often referred to as the "New Symbolist" by philosophers and art critics, due to his dreamlike universe infused with mystery and symbols.
October 2022 to March 2023
For its second season since opening, the GRATALOUP Museum presents the painter Lukáš KÁNDL, a French artist born in Prague in 1944. Since 1975, Lukáš KÁNDL has fully embraced the pictorial movement of Magical Realism and asserts a painterly expression born from dreams or waking dreams. The artist showcases around fifteen works centered around the theme of La Fontaine's Fables.
Until November 12, 2023
The Grataloup museum presents "The Trees Have told me: An Ecological and Symbolic Message." For the painter Grataloup, nature, and especially trees, are a perpetual source of inspiration. The tree, above all, symbolizes life in constant evolution. As it ascends towards the sky, it evokes the cyclical nature of cosmic evolution, death, and regeneration.
For the first time at the museum, and until November 12, 2023
The Grataloup Museum welcomes the young painting with the works of Stella Briann, an energetic artist painter. Stella Briann is an energetic artist painter who extends through her paintings the energetic healing she provides. For this outdoor exhibition, in the gardens of the priory, the paintings have been created on Azobé wood, a highly resistant exotic wood derived from century-old trees in equatorial forests, commonly used in the construction of Deauville Boards. Each of the works displayed in the "Garden of Meditations" represents a chakra. Chakras are energy centers that move within our bodies. Each chakra is associated with a color that corresponds to the vibration or frequency of the chakra.
Each season thus offers visitors a unique and diverse artistic experience, reflecting the richness of contemporary art.
A unique immersive experience
The Grataloup Museum offers a highly innovative approach to the presentation of artworks and exhibitions: A sound and light show is created for each exhibition and projected onto the vaults of the chapel. It is accompanied by original contemporary music that contributes to the emotional impact felt by the viewer.
Podcasts, designed for both adults and children, provide insights and a better understanding of the exhibited works, allowing for a more profound appreciation.
Documentary videos about the featured artists accompany the exhibitions, offering visitors a complete immersion into the world of contemporary art.
The displayed artworks, whether by Grataloup or other founding artists of contemporary art in France, come to life in this exceptional environment. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the artworks, explore their meaning and context, thus creating a unique and enriching artistic experience.
Grataloup museum in Chevreuse valley, an absolute gem of contemporary art to be seen and revisited...
Thus, the Grataloup Museum, a contemporary art center in Chevreuse, is more than just an ordinary museum; it is a place of encounter, contemplation, and discovery that awakens the senses and nourishes the souls of its visitors. Whether you are from the Chevreuse Valley or a Parisian seeking an artistic getaway, a visit to the Grataloup Museum, alone or with family, is an invitation to explore the treasures of contemporary art in an enchanting and inspiring setting.
GRATALOUP Museum
3 rue de l'église - Chevreuse