A journey where the book becomes a motif and guiding thread: 12 contemporary artists, 16 works, and 8 creations intersect with the museum's collections to celebrate reading in all its forms.
A journey where the book becomes a motif and guiding thread: 12 contemporary artists, 16 works, and 8 creations intersect with the museum's collections to celebrate reading in all its forms.
The exhibition revolves around a simple and familiar gesture: reading. The Blue Room (1923) by Suzanne Valadon plays a central role here, depicting a modern woman surrounded by books, which inspires the journey.
Rather than isolating the works in a white cube, the proposal weaves into the permanent galleries of the Fine Arts Museum of Limoges, creating bridges between the Italian Renaissance and the 20th century.
There is a deliberate juxtaposition: books held in hand, objects arranged in compositions, scenes of indoor or outdoor reading, all ways of representing the act of reading.
Twelve artists are gathered, coming from diverse backgrounds and mostly from the national scene. Reading appears in very different forms: concentration and intimacy with Lise Stoufflet or Françoise Pétrovitch, humor around a children's book with Marcos Carrasquer, workshop-library with Frédéric Léglise, domestic interior with Mathieu Cherkit.
Others choose the book as a research tool (Isabelle Braud), or invent books (Marc Molk, Lise Stoufflet). Digital reading is not forgotten; it sneaks into some works, while outdoor reading is explored by Farah Atassi.
In short, a plurality of readings and forms, hence the plural title, Reading(s).
No frontal separation between old and new: each contemporary piece has been chosen to resonate with the permanent collections, whether through color, format, or theme.
The Blue Room, deposited at the museum by the Centre Pompidou, serves as a starting point for this in situ dialogue. The idea is to reinterpret old works in light of recent creations and, perhaps, to inspire a desire to reopen a book upon leaving.
The program surrounding the exhibition is rich and varied, catering to all ages. Before the opening, an evening of readings and performances takes place on a Wednesday at 8 PM (free entry): readings and moving voices to set the tone.
The European Night of Museums on May 23 offers free admission and self-guided activities (collective exquisite corpse, game of seven errors, lollipops, details in the palace).
Drawn exquisite corpses are offered every first Sunday of the month (dates specified in the program), and there is also an operation "Reading(s) VS Nap at BAL" with XXL bean bags and deck chairs for quiet reading (until the end of summer).
July and August see a wonderful concentration of activities: a big family day on July 8th (morning and afternoon) with outdoor activities, exploration games, and readings, in collaboration with several cultural venues in the city.
Regular sessions of "A Moment of Reading(s)" bring together volunteers and readers for shared readings, and guided tours are scheduled every Monday and Saturday in July and August at 3 PM (entry fee + €1). The museum also invites the BFM to offer, in its hall, a selection of books to extend the theme throughout the month of July.
A photography competition open to amateurs and professionals invites reflection on the question "What does reading mean to you in 2026?".
Entries can be submitted between June 15 and August 16, and the winners, chosen by a jury, will have their images displayed at the museum for a month starting from the European Heritage Days. This is a way to extend the visual reflection around books and the acts of reading.
The exhibition takes place from May 23 to November 8 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Limoges (Palais de l'Évêché - 1 place de l'Évêché). Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM. On the first Sunday of the month (and during the European Heritage Days), the museum opens from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
Closures: January 1, May 1, November 1 and 11, December 25. Prices: free entry on the first Sunday of each month, full price €5, reduced price €3. Combined ticket for the Museum of Fine Arts / Museum of the Resistance €6 valid for 3 days (reduced price €4). Combined subscriptions: €18 for residents of Limoges, €24 for residents outside Limoges. For certain activities, registration or information at 05 55 45 98 10 or 05 55 45 60 61 depending on the activity.
Reading(s) is an invitation to look at the book differently, to follow a thread, sometimes subtle, often curious, that connects ancient paintings and contemporary creations. If you enjoy small correspondences between images and texts, games for young and old, or simply the idea of a reading nap on a giant pouf, there is plenty to explore in the program. It's up to you to read between the lines (and the rooms).
Exhibition curator: a person who imagines and organizes the layout of an exhibition, selecting the works and relating them to each other.
Exquisite corpse: a collective game where each participant continues a drawing or a sentence without fully seeing the previous contribution, resulting in a shared creation (often surprising).
Author Audrey on 02 May 2024
Art and Culture : Festival
Author Audrey on 18 July 2022
Art and Culture : Literature