Does the "National Interest Contemporary Art Center" label sum up what the Parvis art center is all about?
It doesn't sum it up, because every labeled art center is different. But it recognizes the quality of our programming, and it also protects the venue. We have our own unique features: the presence of a national theater and an art-house cinema in the same building, and what always surprises people is that we're located in a shopping center. It's unique in France. It's singular and inspiring because all the artists who come here are initially surprised and then captivated by the fact that we're located in a place that attracts all kinds of audiences.
Is there also the issue of a near-monopoly?
First of all, we're not the only ones exhibiting contemporary art in Tarbes or the Hautes-Pyrénées. There's L'Omnibus, the La Chaise collective, and others. But the fact that there aren't many exhibitors of contemporary art, and that we're not located in a major city, means we don't wait for the public to come to us. On the contrary, even though our audience is primarily those who frequent art-house cinemas and the national theater, we're developing a variety of ways to encourage other audiences to discover what we exhibit. And the work we're doing is gradually bearing fruit, with small habits being established among people who wouldn't have otherwise come to the art center.
How do you curate your program?
We have six or seven exhibitions a year, often solo shows or group exhibitions, both within and outside the gallery walls, all centered around a theme I choose. Right now, it's the strange, the extraordinary. A guiding thread that will grow over the years, and invitations extended to artists with at least a national reputation who share this vision. An invitation to work on new projects. The Parvis art center has always been quite forward-thinking and has had a good instinct for choosing artists. Each exhibition also gives rise to events for all audiences, from guided tours to activities for children.
What is the role of local artists?
The art center has a national and European dimension. But we are also interested in local issues and the region. We have already worked with local artists such as Erik Samakh and Victoria Klotz, for example. And there is a whole program working with young artists to provide them with an exhibition space, with an exhibition of current and former students from the art schools in Tarbes and Pau held every three years. There are currently six artists exhibiting in this program.
Where do you want to take the Parvis art center?
That's a constant question. About the future of art centers, about our ways of working. The core missions of production and support for creation must remain, as they are at the heart of art centers. I believe we must envision our future as spaces for social interaction that involve the public in reflecting on what can happen with them and thanks to them within the art center.
