La Salle de Bains Faces Uncertain Future Amid Structural Issues and Funding Challenges
Founded in 1998 by Olivier Vadrot, Lionel Mazelaygue, and Gwenaël Morin, La Salle de Bains is a not-for-profit exhibition venue in Lyon, France, dedicated to showcasing international contemporary artists. Initially located in a repurposed bathroom, the space now hosts up to seven exhibitions each year, featuring talents such as Thomas Hirschhorn and Anthea Hamilton. In 2013, Caroline Soyez-Petithomme took over as the sole director, emphasizing abstract painting and digital art. However, the venue is currently grappling with structural problems, including leaks and a ceiling collapse, putting its future in jeopardy by the end of 2014 without local government assistance. An exhibition featuring Gabriele Beveridge is ongoing until 8 November 2014, yet uncertainty looms over the space's fate.
Key facts
- La Salle de Bains is a not-for-profit exhibition space in Lyon, France, founded in 1998.
- Founders Olivier Vadrot, Lionel Mazelaygue, and Gwenaël Morin were architecture students at the time.
- The space started in a former bathroom of a ground-floor apartment in Lyon's historic center.
- Caroline Soyez-Petithomme became sole director in 2013 after co-directing with Jill Gasparina from 2008.
- Aesthetic focus shifted from site-specific installations to abstract painting and digital art.
- The space has produced up to seven exhibitions a year with international artists like Thomas Hirschhorn and Magali Reus.
- Structural issues, including leaks and a collapsed ceiling, forced a temporary closure in 2014.
- The future is uncertain, with potential closure by the end of 2014 if relocation or funding is not secured.
Entities
Artists
- Olivier Vadrot
- Lionel Mazelaygue
- Gwenaël Morin
- Caroline Soyez-Petithomme
- Jill Gasparina
- Thomas Hirschhorn
- Jonathan Monk
- Nathaniel Mellors
- Magali Reus
- Anthea Hamilton
- Claudia Comte
- Lisa Beck
- Olivier Mosset
- Andy Warhol
- Gabriele Beveridge
Institutions
- La Salle de Bains
- French Ministry of Culture
- Rhône-Alpes region
- city of Lyon
- Galerie Bruno Bischofberger
- ArtReview
Locations
- Lyon
- France
- La Croix-Rousse
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- London
- United Kingdom