Nefeli Papadimouli's participatory textile exhibition at Le Grand Café

Le Grand Café in Saint-Nazaire is set to close after renovations in 2027, despite a petition with over 4,300 signatures. In its final months, director Sophie Legrandjacques presents Nefeli Papadimouli's 'Garden of Commons' (2026). The Greek-born artist (b. 1988) transforms the space into an evolving garden where visitors can touch, modify, and wear the textile works. The exhibition includes 'Lignes de désir,' a large installation inspired by desire paths, where fabric panels can be detached and assembled into costumes. Another room features soft, quilted 'buildings' referencing protest sites like the Commune in Nantes and the ZAD of Notre-Dame-des-Landes. Upstairs, costumes from past performances (Le Havre 2025, Ivry 2023) are displayed alongside dance scores. Papadimouli, who studied architecture at the National Technical University of Athens (2013) and later at Beaux-Arts de Paris (2016) and Le Fresnoy (2024), emphasizes communal care and collective action. On October 3, 2026, she will lead a parade to the roof of the former submarine base, where the exhibition's second chapter unfolds. The show runs June 13 to October 18, 2026.