
The Art Center
On the rehabilitated site of the former Crest fire station, the Art Center is a municipal facility of 200 m² dedicated to temporary exhibitions.
The center hosts exhibitions that invite to discover the diversity of artistic expressions, between modern times, art and crafts and contemporary art.
As part of its exhibitions at the Art Center, the City of Crest offers a program of events and educational animations to share art and techniques with all audiences.
NEXT EXHIBITION
EXHIBITION IN PROGRESS
Pierre Tal Coat et André du Bouchet
July 13 – October 8, 2023
« Do you know the Drôme? We should travel through it. Perhaps one day, illustrating du Bouchet, we will be able in its massifs, its rocks, forests and waters, to find the equivalence of this writing by him. (…)
Beautiful dark purple fields against the sky, rocking, pristine land. The Drôme! »
Pierre Tal Coat, Letter to Françoise Simecek, 13.05.1972
Among the poets of the 20th century, André du Bouchet (1924-2001) is an inventor, a creator of forms like Stéphane Mallarmé was in the previous century. On the page, between his words, space plays an essential role. The white, the air make the poems breathe and it sometimes takes long strides to pass from one fragment to another.
André du Bouchet, had met Pierre Tal Coat in 1948, when the painter lived in Château Noir, in the hills of Aix-en-Provence. Until the disappearance of his friend, but also until his own disappearance (until his very last days in April 2001, at the hospital in Crest), he never stopped questioning himself (and write) on the unique adventure of « this great painter ».
Remember that André du Bouchet affixed his (typed) pages to the walls of the room where he worked, in Paris or in Truinas: he had, so to speak, a studio (or rather two). And, to tell the truth, a vast construction site. « I’m a painter! » he said, smiling to his loved ones…
In his huge studio in Dormont (not far from Giverny), Pierre Tal Coat (1905-1985) sought to find an organic harmony between painting and nature, between the material of his paint and the surrounding world: hundreds of paintings lived there, waiting… just like hundreds of pages of André du Bouchet waiting for the rapidity of a glance, the flash of a seizure until the « precipitate » of the poem.
The exhibition, through paintings, drawings, books…, explores the links between the poet and the painter.
Curator: Jean-Pascal Léger.

Consult the press kit of the exhibition André du Bouchet and Pierre Tal Coat – Poetry & Painting by following the link below :

Pierre Tal Coat. Vertigo. Oil on canvas. Valence Museum. 1982. Photograph Eric Caillet.

Pierre Tal Coat’s studio. Photograph by Michel Dieuzaide. Towards the Curvature. 1983

Pierre Tal Coat. Towards the Drôme. Oil on canvas. Jean-Marie Algoud collection. 1980.

Double page of the book Laisses by André du Bouchet and Pierre Tal Coat. Francoise Simecek editor. 1975.

Double page of the book Under the lintel in the shape of a yoke by André du Bouchet and Pierre Tal Coat. Francoise Simecek editor. 1978
Exhibition Catalogue

A catalog of the exhibition, published by the City of Crest and written by the curator, is available at the Crest Art Center and by mail (6 € postage).
For mailings and orders at the bookseller’s price, contact the city’s Culture and Animation team at the following address : culture@mairie-crest.fr or by phone at 04 75 76 61 38.
40 pages, 48 illustrations
ISBN 979-10-415-2100-5
Price : 15 €
INCOMING EXHIBITION
EVENTS
# European Heritage Days
Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September
On the occasion of European Heritage Days, Jean-Pascal Léger, curator of the exhibition, will give two guided tours of the exhibition.
See you on Saturday September 16 at 5 p.m. and Sunday September 17 at 2:30 p.m. to understand everything about the exchanges between André du Bouchet and Pierre Tal Coat.
Free guided tours, without reservation and within the limit of available places.
Free admission to the Art Center on both days.
# Guided tour
Friday, July 14 at 5 pm
The curator of the exhibition will guide you to discover the work of André du Bouchet and Pierre Tal Coat, both of whom he knows well. Take advantage of this exclusive guided tour to learn more about the ties that united these two artists.
Free guided tour, subject to availability. Reservation recommended on 04 75 76 61 38 or reservation@mairie-crest.fr.
Preparing for your visit
Days, schedule, prices and getting there
Place Medvode (Champ-de-mars)
26400 Crest
09 61 67 27 33 / 04 75 76 61 38
contact@centredartdecrest.fr
Facebook : Centre d’Art de Crest
- Openning times :
Wednesday to Sunday : 2 pm – 6.30 pm
- Price :
Adult | € 5 |
Student, job seeker, disability card holder, large family card holder, tax credit beneficiary |
€ 3 |
Family (2 adults with children) |
€ 8 |
Under the age of 18 | Free entrance |
Groups of 10 people |
€ 3 per person |
- Annual Pass :
-
Full price : 10 €
- Reduced price : 6 €
- Getting here :
– 1h15 from Lyon by car
– 35 minutes from High Speed Train (TGV) Railway station
– Crest Railway station (SNCF)
– Free parking for buses and cars, walking distance from the Art Center
Extend your visit
Galerie Duvert
Art Gallery and antiquity of XXe century
Place du Champ-de-Mars – CREST
04 75 25 31 41
www.antiquites-duvert.fr
Galerie Espace Liberté
Promotion place of Contemporay and modern art and various form of artistic expression
5, rue des Alpes – CREST
09 52 37 99 86
www.galerieespaceliberte.fr
galerieespaceliberte@gmail.com
imprints-Galerie
Art gallery, Publishing house of print and artist book
14, rue Jean Rousset – CREST
06 41 22 02 11
www.imprints-galerie.com
imprints@orange.fr
Tourism office – Pays de Crest et de Saillans – Coeur de Drôme
Place de l’église – CREST
04 75 25 11 38
www.valleedeladrome-tourisme.com
Tower of Crest
Chemin du Donjon – CREST
04 75 25 32 53
www.tourdecrest.com
accueil@tourdecrest.fr