Toulouse. Contemporary art is exhibited for two months in the shops of this atypical district
By Anthony Assemat
Published on
La Colombette has the particularity of being a free Commune within Toulouse, with its own mayor (!) and a very marked village spirit with nearly 4000 inhabitants.
A project to bounce back
After the pandemic and the imposed closure of businesses, the neighborhood looked for “an idea to bounce back. We thought about an educational project to use the strengths of Toulouse. And at the same time, we want to promote the neighborhood and improve the customer experience,” says NewsToulouse François Scheerens, member of the Association of merchants of Saint-Aubin/Colombette.
“Surprise customers”
Thus, from March 11 to May 28, 2022, La Colombette will present its “Neighborhood Museum” to Toulouse residents. 14 works from the collections of the Musée des Abattoirs will be installed in as many shops. “The Arts&Quotidien association presented the project to us and said yes right away. You have to surprise the customers and be able to offer something else,” continues François Scheerens, whose wife is herself a shopkeeper in the district. Discussions, emotions, synergy… François Scheerens wants to believe that the ephemeral exhibition of contemporary art in shops will hit the mark. “The idea of being a consumer and also an actor, almost a consumer, is important to differentiate yourself,” continues the Toulousain.
“Making Art Visible”
Lou Monjon, manager of the Mômerie, is one of the 14 businesses. The president of the merchants’ association will exhibit “L’Hérité”, by François Saint-Pierre, a work dating from 1978. “We want to continue to make the district attractive and dynamic. Bringing people back to businesses is important after what we have been through. We have plenty of plans for that. And then, making art visible and presenting it in another context is a good thing”, she expresses.
Also go, for example, to the Racine Café for more than two months to appreciate a work by James Pichette, from 1988, simply entitled… “Toulouse”!
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