Pop-up Collections Brings Contemporary Art to Carcassonne, Sparks Controversy Over Mehdi-Georges Lahlou Work
"Pop-up Collections. Art et histoires" will run from June 5 to October 17, 2026, across five locations in Carcassonne, including the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Centre d'art contemporain. The exhibition showcases pieces from the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Carcassonne, Frac Occitanie Montpellier, and Les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie Toulouse, with a focus on Jean-Paul Laurens's 1879 artwork, Les Emmurés de Carcassonne. Curator Emmanuelle Hamon emphasizes the exploration of history by contemporary artists. A notable controversy arose when the municipal government, led by the Rassemblement National, sought to remove Mehdi-Georges Lahlou's installation at the Centre d'art, which ultimately remained in place, highlighting the exhibition's diverse perspectives.
Key facts
- "Pop-up Collections. Art et histoires" runs from June 5 to October 17, 2026, across five venues in Carcassonne.
- The exhibition features around 100 works from three public collections: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Carcassonne, Frac Occitanie Montpellier, and Les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie Toulouse.
- Jean-Paul Laurens's 1879 painting Les Emmurés de Carcassonne serves as the thematic anchor, depicting Cathars imprisoned by the Inquisition.
- Carcassonne's municipal government, led by the Rassemblement National after Christophe Barthès's election in March 2026, requested the removal of Mehdi-Georges Lahlou's Salât ou autoportrait dirigé.
- Lahlou's installation consists of nine plaster casts of his body in Muslim prayer postures, exploring his dual cultural belonging.
- Lauriane Gricourt (Les Abattoirs) and Éric Mangion (Frac Occitanie Montpellier) refused to move the work, citing curatorial and logistical reasons and "freedom of dissemination of creation."
- The city eventually accepted to keep the installation on view.
- Artists in the exhibition include Jimmie Durham, Walter Barrientos, Alfredo Jaar, Fiorenza Menini, Nina Childress, Esther Ferrer, Xavier Veilhan, and Simone Decker.
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Paul Laurens
- Jimmie Durham
- Walter Barrientos
- Alfredo Jaar
- Fiorenza Menini
- Nina Childress
- Esther Ferrer
- Xavier Veilhan
- Simone Decker
- Mehdi-Georges Lahlou
- Emmanuelle Hamon
- Lauriane Gricourt
- Éric Mangion
- Christophe Barthès
Institutions
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Carcassonne
- Frac Occitanie Montpellier
- Les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie Toulouse
- Centre d'art contemporain de Carcassonne
- Chapelle des Dominicaines
- Chapelle du Petit Saint-Gimer
- Halle aux Grains
- Rassemblement National
- Beaux Arts
Locations
- Carcassonne
- France
- Montpellier
- Toulouse
- Occitanie