Exporama Festival Takes Over Rennes, Revives Forgotten Painter Roger-Edgar Gillet

The sixth edition of Exporama, Rennes' summer contemporary art festival, is set to transform the entire city into a vibrant art venue from June 18 to September 20, 2026. The festival's visual identity features a psychedelic gouache landscape by local artist Morvandiau, whose works will also be exhibited at Lendroit, a combined publishing house, bookstore, and gallery. A highlight is the rediscovery of painter Roger-Edgar Gillet (1924–2004) at the Musée des Beaux-Arts, where his retrospective 'La grande dérision' runs from February 14 to June 7, 2026. Gillet, initially associated with lyrical abstraction, later turned to figuration, creating thickly painted, distorted figures reminiscent of James Ensor and Goya. The festival also presents textile works, drawings, and sculptures by Celina Eceiza at the Frac Bretagne, and displays recent acquisitions from the municipal contemporary art collection at the former Jacques Cartier prison. The event aims to be accessible, festive, and participatory, engaging venues across Rennes.