Philippe Méaille's Art & Language Collection at Château de la Bainerie

The Château de la Bainerie in Tiercé, Maine-et-Loire, houses one of the world's largest collections of Art & Language works, owned by Philippe Méaille. The 18th-century château, located 30 minutes from Angers, was a youth holiday center until Méaille acquired it in 2000. Méaille, who began collecting in 1995 at age 21, focuses exclusively on Art & Language after being introduced by gallerist Éric Fabre. His first purchase was 'Miroirs' (1965), a critical nod to Minimalism. The collection includes key works like 'Dialectic Materialism' (1975) and 'Index: Incident in a Museum, XXII (The Decade 2003-2013)' (1986). The château also holds archives and a vast magazine collection, intended to become a study and meeting center. A concurrent exhibition at the École régionale des beaux-arts in Nantes (directed by Pierre-Jean Galdin, former director of the Musée de l'Objet in Blois) featured works from the collection, including 'Karaoke'. This collaboration anticipates the Erban's move to a new space in 2010, integrating public and private collectors. The château's interior is furnished by Ettore Sottsass, and the installation was done with the artists' help for the round room, while Méaille arranged the rest.