The Must-Visit Contemporary Art Galleries in Toulouse
Toulouse is a city for aesthetes, known colloquially as ‘La Ville Rose’ – The Pink City – due to its pink-stone buildings, many built in a pseudo-Romanic style, paying homage to the city’s heritage as an ancient settlement on the River Garonne. Its youthful creativity has given rise to a vibrant contemporary art scene, where anarchistic artist collectives cross paths with public museums. We explore ten of the best contemporary art galleries and exhibition spaces in bustling Toulouse.
1. Les Abattoirs – Toulouse Modern and Contemporary Art Centre
Library, Museum
2. Galerie Municipale Du Château D’Eau
Art Gallery
3. EXPRMNTL Galerie
Bookstore, Building, Art Gallery
4. Next Galerie
Next Galerie
Next Galerie specialises in urban and pop art, and stands out amongst more traditional galleries found along Toulouse’s streets. The team is dedicated to presenting the emotional dimension and entertainment value of contemporary art, and their collections focus on themes of discovery, pleasure and joy. Whilst Next Galerie’s past exhibitions have predominantly given a platform to young emerging artists, they now have big ambitions to expand into the international mainstream art world and have begun to compliment these collections with pieces from international pop-artists who have already gained exposure and are well known globally.
Next Galerie, 15 Rue Croix Baragnon, Toulouse, France, +33 5 61 32 82 24
5. Le Centre de l’Affiche – The Centre for Graphic Art
Building, Art Gallery
6. Galerie Alain Daudet
Galerie Alain Daudet
This impressive art space spans 2,800 square feet over two floors, and provides an expansive and brilliantly shining arena for showcasing strikingly coloured paintings and sculptures, displayed along the walls, atop of purpose-built podiums, and nestled in enclaves built as shelves into the walls themselves. Galerie Alain Daudet was founded in 1986 and deserves its reputation as ‘an institution in Toulouse cultural landscape’. The gallery itself is gorgeous and inspiring for its simplistic yet creative curation of interesting contemporary pieces. Included in the long list of artists who have showcased their work here are Antonio Segui, Bengt Lindström, Cédric Bouteiller, Claude Venard, and locally lauded glass artists and ceramists. Galerie Alain Daudet is well worth the visit for those looking for a taste of the boutique art scene in Toulouse.
Galerie Alain Daudet, 10 Rue de la Trinité, Toulouse, France, +33 5 34 31 74 84
7. Galerie De L’Echarpe / Concept Galerie
Art Gallery
8. Fondation d’Entreprise Espace Ecureuil Pour l’Art Contemporain
Fondation d’Entreprise Espace Ecureuil Pour l’Art Contemporain
An essential stop on your tour of the Toulouse contemporary art spaces, the gallery belonging to Le Fondation d’Entreprise Espace Ecureuil has created a unique identity for itself as it only exhibits work that is directly related to the activity and aspirations of everyday life. The foundation self-describe as ‘…a space where artworks can breathe and the public can encounter them.’ The permanent collection is a growing exhibit titled Les cadavres sont exquis, comprised of work created especially for the project. It’s a revival of ‘exquisite corpse’, a famous game started by the surrealists, in which artists working in various mediums create work in succession as responses to a previous piece. The Foundation has an overall focus on open-minded artistic discovery, and channels much of its energy into outreach educational services, providing artistic encounters for local students. The Fondation d’Entreprise Espace Ecureuil, through its dedication and passion, is not simply a part of the contemporary French art scene, but it is cultivating and expanding it.
Fondation d’Entreprise Espace Ecureuil Pour l’Art Contemporain, 3 Place Du Capitole, Toulouse, France, +33 5 62 30 23 30
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