Carré d’Art – Contemporary Art Museum of Nîmes
Opposite the Maison Carrée, architect Norman Foster designed a huge, fully transparent glass parallelepiped construction, with harmonious lines, creating an architectural interaction between the town’s past and a touch of modernity. A central atrium inspired by the inner courtyards of the houses of Nîmes is decorated with a skylight that floods the building with light.
Inside the Carré d’Art is a contemporary art museum with a collection from the 1960s to today, and a media library.
Every year, the collection is renewed, revealing a new selection of artworks. There is an area devoted to the Supports/Surfaces movement that was first established in the south of France. Arte Povera is particularly well represented with artworks by Mario Merz, Giuseppe Penone, Alighiero Boetti and Giovanni Anselmo. There are also some significant pieces from American artists including Richard Artschwager, Allan Kaprow, Joseph Kosuth and Christopher Wool. Part of the collection is devoted to German painting with artworks by Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke and Albert Oehlen, and some installations by Thomas Schütte. This collection is completed with artworks from some important French names including Sophie Calle, Annette Messager and Suzanne Lafont.
Every year, there’s a great programme of temporary exhibitions, providing opportunities to discover some new contemporary artists.
