Julie Portier Appointed Director of Villa du Parc Contemporary Art Center in Annemasse

Julie Portier has been named the new director of Villa du Parc, a contemporary art center located in Annemasse, Haute-Savoie. She assumes this role following Garance Chabert's tenure. Portier, who works as an art critic and exhibition curator, will oversee the institution's operations with specific objectives to enhance its visibility, increase public accessibility, and foster engagement with contemporary artistic practices. The announcement was published in L'ŒIL magazine's issue 794 on April 1, 2026. In related cultural news, the Philharmonie de Paris is launching the inaugural edition of Explore, a biennial dedicated to experimental music, supported by the Fondation Louis-Roederer. Additionally, Solveig Alegre received the L'Œil prize at the 2026 Salon des artistes français. Born in 1995 in Croix, Nord, Alegre grew up in Île-de-France and has lived in Paris for approximately a decade. Design curator Aurélie Voltz emphasized the importance of making design history more accessible to audiences. Meanwhile, Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata was featured in a February exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo, where his temporary wooden structures explore themes of urban environments, nature, and global fragility.