André Gélis, the Outsider Mayor Who Built a Contemporary Art Mecca in Sérignan
André Gélis, the independent mayor of Sérignan and a former customs inspector, has turned the town into a center for contemporary art. He acquired a 2,500-square-meter museum, the La Cigalière performance space, a media library dedicated to Samuel Beckett, a music school, and studios for artists. Gélis has commissioned pieces from artists like Daniel Buren and Patrick Bouchain and built a museum collection with donations from renowned figures such as Dado and Pierre Soulages. In 2006, Le Monde described his cultural initiatives as "unparalleled in France." However, he was defeated in the 2008 elections by a left-wing coalition critical of his spending. Jacques Henric likens this to the defeat of Rodez's UMP mayor regarding the Soulages museum, raising questions about the public's stance on contemporary art. Gélis remarked, "If I lose the mayoralty for these reasons, I'll be proud of it."
Key facts
- André Gélis was mayor of Sérignan, a town of 7,000 residents.
- Sérignan hosts 60,000 tourists in summer.
- Gélis built a 2,500-square-meter contemporary art museum.
- The museum collection was formed mainly through artist donations.
- Artists who donated include Dado, Klossowski, Dubuffet, Erró, Rancillac, Viallat, Dezeuze, Garouste, Crumb, Fahlström, Chéri Samba, Messagier, Alechinsky, Debré, Morris, Bioulès, Corpet, Desgrandchamps, Soulages, Klasen, Hybert, Combas, Séchas, and Dietman.
- Daniel Buren created the installation Rayonnant on the plaza in front of La Cigalière.
- Dado covered the former agricultural site Les Orpellières with frescoes.
- Gélis lost the 2008 municipal election to a left-wing coalition that criticized his cultural policy.
- In Rodez, the UMP mayor was defeated partly due to the Soulages museum project, which the socialist successor scaled back.
- Jacques Henric wrote the editorial in artpress in 2008.
Entities
Artists
- André Gélis
- Dado
- Pierre Klossowski
- Jean Dubuffet
- Erró
- Bernard Rancillac
- Claude Viallat
- Gérard Dezeuze
- Gérard Garouste
- Robert Crumb
- Öyvind Fahlström
- Chéri Samba
- Jean Messagier
- Pierre Alechinsky
- Olivier Debré
- Robert Morris
- Vincent Bioulès
- Philippe Corpet
- Pierre Desgrandchamps
- Pierre Soulages
- Peter Klasen
- Fabrice Hybert
- Robert Combas
- Pierre Séchas
- Hervé Di Rosa
- Daniel Buren
- Patrick Bouchain
- Jean Nouvel
- Jacques Henric
- Michel Guerrin
Institutions
- Le Monde
- artpress
- UMP
- La Cigalière
- Samuel Beckett media library
- Musée Soulages
Locations
- Sérignan
- France
- Béziers
- Rodez
- Les Orpellières
Sources
- artpress —