Opposite:
Roy
Lichtenstein’s
Collage
For Nude With Red Shirt
(1995).
This page, clockwise,
from left:
Charles and
Edouard Carmignac;
a bird’s-eye view of
Porquerolles; an
exhibition space in the
Foundation’s garden
Carmignac. ‘I think it is very interesting to have someone
else look at your collection and find lines of meaning
that you have not found, and unravel them. This
endeavour reflects my deep desire to make a bigger
commitment to contemporary art – to engage with
artists by exhibiting them in a preserved and unique
environment, and to engage with the public by creating
the ideal conditions for encounters and explorations.’
It is clear that Carmignac wishes the public to play
a central role at Porquerolles. The Foundation aspires
to encourage visitors to shed the rigid form maintained
by traditional art admirers, and adopt the posture of
adventurers, seekers and revellers.
‘I hate museums,’ proclaims Carmignac. ‘I want a living
Foundation.’ His son, Charles, who has been appointed
director of the Foundation, echoes his sentiment.
‘Porquerolles can’t just be a place where you hang
a collection,’ he says. ‘It has to be a place for creative
exchange. We want to invite artists and scientists,
turn it into a place where artworks are created, and have
residencies where artists will get inspired by the island.’
This enthralling collection, created by one man
guided by a sharp vision, and brought to life by
a cooperative unit of believers, represents everything
the cultural experience should be: an open invitation to
join the spectacle.
I T ’ S I N T E R E S T I N G T O
H AV E S OME O N E E L S E
L O O K AT Y O U R C O L L E C T I O N
A N D F I N D N E W L I N E S
O F ME A N I N G T H AT Y O U
H AV E N O T F O U N D
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37
MAT THIIEU SALVAING; ROY LICHTENSTEIN
NEW YORK/ADAGP PARIS 2017 ERIC VALLI
