The troglodytic houses of the Château des Baux-de-Provence open up to contemporary art by welcoming the École Supérieure d’Art d’Avignon.
The Château reaffirms its commitment to contemporary creation and support for artists by inaugurating new exhibition spaces within this exceptional heritage site: the troglodytic houses.
These unique spaces, shaped by erosion and carrying centuries of memory, will now be dedicated to showcasing contemporary works created by students and associated artists.
Called Anachronistic Exhibitions, these artistic encounters will offer an unprecedented dialogue between heritage and creation, between traces of the past and contemporary perspectives.
Dance of the Jars
From December 6
Oussama Mahdhi / Resident Artist ESAA (École Supérieure d’Art d’Avignon)
Dance of the Jars is an installation by Oussama Mahdhi inspired by raqs al-juzur, a tradition still alive in some regions of southern Tunisia, at the heart of the troglodyte landscapes of Matmata. In this dance, the jar remains balanced despite the body’s movement: a subtle knowledge passed down and refined through generations.
The installation assembles fragments and reimagined forms of this jar. Each element suggests a fragile continuity, a heritage in transformation, much like memories that are passed on yet never remain the same.
Fontaine(s)
Until January
Alain Leonesi / Associated Artist, ESAA (École Supérieure d’Art d’Avignon)
With Fontaine(s), Alain Leonesi ventures into the slippery terrain of water. At the Château des Baux, and more specifically within these troglodytic dwellings, the memory of water storage is preserved through cisterns carved directly into the stone.
Inspired by this theme, the artist created Fontaine(s) as an installation, reusing pre-existing objects (tubs, basins, buckets, soup tureens…).
He designed a handmade mechanical assembly (assemble/disassemble) that explores all the possibilities of DIY—materials, tools, and gestures.