Sean Scully's Tower Oiron Cubed and Six New Works Enrich Château d'Oiron

The Château d'Oiron, managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux, has expanded its contemporary art collection with a monumental sculpture by Sean Scully and six new works from the Antoine de Galbert donation. Originally a fortified building transformed into a Renaissance pleasure house by Claude Gouffier, the château has housed the "Curios & Mirabilia" collection since 1993, assembled by art historian Jean-Hubert Martin. In 2024, Sean Scully had an exhibition at Oiron featuring paintings and a sculpture made of stacked glass bricks. Impressed by the estate, he proposed creating a permanent work for the park. Inaugurated on June 26, 2026, "Tower Oiron Cubed" is a five-meter-high cubic tower made of local stone, freely inspired by 18th-century garden follies. It dialogues with the King's Pavilion, the collegiate church, and the park, echoing the distant Moncontour keep. Additionally, six contemporary artworks from the Antoine de Galbert collection, donated in 2023, have been integrated into the château's tour. These works by Nelson Leirner, Daniel Firman, Žilvinas Kempinas, Benoit Huot, and Tony Oursler—including a Vanity piece that resonates with the spirit of cabinets of curiosities—are interspersed among the "Curios & Mirabilia" collection. The château's administrator, Benoît Grécourt, noted the artist's fondness for the estate.