Estuaire Biennial Transforms Nantes/Saint-Nazaire with Site-Specific Art
The inaugural edition of Estuaire, organized by Jean Blaise, took place from June 1 to September 1, 2007, in Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, France, aiming to define the identity of the Nantes/Saint-Nazaire metropolis through contemporary art. Notable works featured Tatzu Nishi's hotel room installation near the Place Royale fountain, Ange Leccia's performance in the Saint-Félix tunnel, and Thomas McIntosh's sound-light display at Le Lieu Unique. Pierrick Sorin's video at the Château des Ducs de Bretagne reflected on Nantes' past, while Anish Kapoor's exhibit at the Musée des Beaux-Arts delved into themes of memory. The Hangar à Bananes showcased the Rouge Baiser exhibition, along with installations like Erwin Wurm's boat, Florentijn Hofman's rubber duck, and Minerva Cantos's reimagined Évian bottles.
Key facts
- First edition of Estuaire biennial from June 1 to September 1, 2007
- Conceived by Jean Blaise
- Took place in Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, France
- Featured site-specific works in public spaces and cultural venues
- Anish Kapoor exhibited a monumental red wax block at Musée des Beaux-Arts
- Hangar à Bananes opened with exhibition Rouge Baiser curated by Laurence Gateau
- Felice Varini created an optical intervention in Saint-Nazaire port
- Florentijn Hofman presented a giant rubber duck on the estuary
Entities
Artists
- Tatzu Nishi
- Ange Leccia
- Thomas McIntosh
- Pierrick Sorin
- Anish Kapoor
- Daniel Buren
- Erwin Wurm
- Jean-Luc Courcoult
- Alain Séchas
- Florentijn Hofman
- Kinya Maruyama
- Felice Varini
- Edwin Van Der Heide
- Minerva Cantos
- Los Carpentios
Institutions
- Estuaire
- Le Lieu Unique
- Château des Ducs de Bretagne
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes
- Hangar à Bananes
- Frac des Pays de la Loire
- Le Grand Café
Locations
- Nantes
- Saint-Nazaire
- France
- Loire estuary
- Place Royale
- Saint-Félix tunnel
- Île de Nantes
Sources
- artpress —