Events & Festivals in Western Loire in September

A potter at heart.

Louis-Léopold Thuiland, born in Prévelles in 1862, was a famed potter of the Sarthe region. His life was a tragedy in itself, a paragon of misery, in stark contrast with the joy and energy associated with his creations.

His life work is a touching testimony of village culture in the pre-war era and also provides a strong example of the tradition of varnished pottery, characteristic of the Sarthe area.

Healthy tourism.

Experience a whole weekend of hiking! Nature-enthusiasts and lovers of old stones, take the time to enjoy the natural and architectural riches of the Clisson valley. Sign up for a hike or three over the weekend!

On foot, canoeing, in the morning, the afternoon, and even nocturnal hikes! This hiking program is a great way to enjoy the region's heritage with the whole family.

Snoop is back in da game, fo shizzle…

Ego Trippin', which came out last March, is Snoop's ninth album, one which he decided to produce for himself. The notorious rapper outdoes himself in this project, with that particularly juicy track Sensual Seduction (the censored title of Sexual Eruption) during which you can hear his all-too-well-known rapping spliced with pure, traditional, uplifting vocals - it's now a proven fact, Snoop can sing, he can sing well.

This new opus is brimming with funky songs most definitely influenced by 80's tunes (such as Prince, Morris Day & The Time, Rick James, George Clinton or The Gap Band), along with smooth R'n'B and proper gangsta rap tracks.

Garden of delights.

The Abbey Gardens, located in the centre of the cloister, have always represented a refreshing natural view for resident monks - the gardens were also, naturally, landscaped as a representation of paradise… Today, at a time when gardens have become an important factor in home life, the Abbey is opening the doors to its magical gardens. Visitors can bask in the unearthly calm within and feel close to nature.

Gather in the jardin des simples (a medicinal herb garden) or in the apple orchard to hear the wise words of historians, philosophers and scientists. Afterwards, you can track the source of the Evrault and discover the Abbey's fauna, and the Norman bestiary, with a team of specialists to guide the way. You can learn so much during the many workshops thanks to practical, hands-on information about how to tend and care for plants, herbs, vegetables, etc. Finally, to conclude this fabulous journey, a gastronomical feast will be organised in the evenings…

What dreams may come…

"Machines on the Island" (Les Machines de l'Ile) is indeed a mysterious concept... It involves massive animals, creatures of the savana or the ocean depths, appearing suddenly in the middle of the city, as if one's daydreams had crossed over into reality…

You will not have to imagine this, because it has been imagined for you. These giant wood and metal creatures will be there, palpable, more real than ever. Evidently, a discussion will be organised to explain the process of creation and to introduce the team of artists/engineers.

This fantastic event is signed François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice working with the famed Royal de Luxe company!

Curious artwork of today…

Visitors are free to check out the La Création IN SITU documents and various works, and take part in discussions about artist in residence programs.
Saturday & Sunday from 2 to 6PM

Guided Tours What architecture for contemporary art?
Tour of building (reserves and exhibition spaces) and exterior (building and park)
"Collection and creation":
Tour of Tatiana Trouvé's works and of "Instantané 70", an exhibition of the FRAC's collections based on the theme "engagement". Saturday and Sunday at 2PM, 3:30PM and 5PM.

George Perec's contemporary art.

The Fine-Arts museum in Nantes is organising a contemporary art exhibition for this special occasion, namely the 30th anniversary of the publication of Georges Perec's eponymous novel Life A User's Manual.

Regarde de tous tes yeux, regarde will be presenting a total of 70 artists with works (some of which have never been exhibited) from the museum's stock as well as from public and private collections.

Pictures of a floating world…

This exhibition is an invitation into the world of Japanese printmaking - this journey will be fuelled by the Angers museum's collection of unique art prints. Au Pays de l'estampe is focused on the period between 1760 and 1840 which was the golden age of Ukiyo-e (or "pictures of a floating world"), the classical Japanese woodcut tradition.

The exhibit will be organised around 4 themes: women's prints; "surinomo" or prints for the Japanese new year, theatre actors, and Japan through the eyes of Hokusai and Hiroshige, two of the nation's greatest Ukiyo-e masters.

Boxes dedicated to Life.

Living Box is a unique vision of contemporary art - it is focused on a number of artists who have begun to question the political, economic and ecological frameworks of the world today. This event is an invitation to rethink one's conceptions of architecture and fashion, furniture and everyday objects…

The exhibition is a collection of liveable spaces, "Living Boxes", small-scale architecture (a room, a cell) which brings to mind the eponymous work of Patrick Van Caeckenbergh (a space in which he lived for five years). Also, we are reminded of Absalon's cells, and the rooms of Sylvie Fleury or Dominique Donzalez-Foerster.

The best of contemporary photography.

The Quinzaine Photographique de Nantes or QPN is a festival dedicated to the promotion of contemporary photography. Established professionals as well as young talents have an opportunity to reach a wide public at the QPN.

The "Prix QPN 2008" will be awarded to the photographer with the best portfolio. Additionally, this winner will have a personal display space throughout the entire event, the best possible showcase for a budding photographer.

Fusion of sport and entertainment…

Created in 1981, the Le Mans 24 Hours Truck race is more than just a sporting challenge: for the initiated, it is a time of celebration worthy of the greatest festival. There is a definite festival atmosphere for spectators and for professionals working on the site.

Over the years, the 24 Hours event has grown to become the biggest event of its kind in the world.
The races themselves are only a start; there are a number of scheduled events including truck decoration competitions and fireworks.

Art gone wild.

The Au pas des siècles association has been working to promote local history and culture for over two decades. This anniversary will be an opportunity to learn about local heritage, be it natural, historical, cultural or architectural…

Let yourself be spirited away…

France and Japan have at least one thing in common: a passion for cartoons, comics and animation. The art of animation has become a major and respected form of expression in which realism and fantasy touch upon each other in ever-evolving alternate realities.

Three great names stand out on the animation landscape: Paul Grimault, Takahata Isao and Miyazaki Hayao. These artists, from completely different parts of the world, are nevertheless connected at a higher level and speak the same artistic language. The curator for this expo, Jean-Pierre Pagliano, is an expert critic of Paul Grimault's art and is also familiar with Japanese animation and cinema.

This unique exhibition will be a journey into parallel universes, those of Grimault's Le Roi et l'Oiseau ("The King and the Mockingbird"),Takahata's Pompoko and Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke. To complement the exhibits there will be a full programme of workshops, discussions and outdoor film screenings in the Abbey gardens.

A garden that jumps off the page.

The Chantenay library will be displaying a collection of art-photos signed Jean Renaudineau for this exceptional "Couleurs et saveurs du jardin" exhibition.

Over 30 works will be on display and all are focused on a bucolic, refreshing theme: tomatoes! The visitor will be drawn into a lush green and red world full of summertime flavours…

Take no prisonners.

Sonic Youth have been around for the past 30 years. This band has always been aligned with major music movements like punk or grunge, movements that cannot accept compromise and complacency.

Sonic Youth has always defied categorisation, working to deconstruct the pop music canons to breathe new life into the world of rock music. Daydream Nation, their latest album, came out in 2007.

Desire, rage, hatred, despair…

Set in Rome in 1800, this story is about the consequences of the Battle of Marengo and the collapse of the Roman republic. Giacomo Puccini stages a love story between a passionate, jealous singer and a dreamy, selfless painter - he avoids the soppy romantic cliché by setting the story in such a turbulent context.

Yet a nefarious figure lurks within the shadows cast by churches and palaces, in the dark tunnels of religion and politics. Scarpia is a chief of police, a corrupt individual with a taste for torture…

Rather than love Scarpia aims to possess, and the two young lovers, star-gazing into each other's hearts with an artist's sentimentality, do not inspire or move him… They only serve to become his prey.

A unique folklore…

The Espace Faïence, in collaboration with the Breton museum (musée départemental breton) is organising an exhibition dedicated to Breton history.

The round hats, the "bigoud" headdresses, clogs and other "Bretoneries"… Born from a particular phase in 19th-century Breton decorative arts, these are the elements of an imaginary vision that makes up the collective Breton culture.

Le Petit Breton à Malicorne is about a unique and fascinating folklore. The exhibition draws from the works of Hippolyte Lalaisse, and the famous Breton icon created by Léon Pouplard.

Worlds apart.

Since its early days, the Consonances Festival has been one of the few to blend an immensely wide variety of works and composers from many different historic periods.

Every year, a reputed composer is commissioned to create a work in record timing so as to be played during the festival.

4 days of madness.

The Accroche-Cœur festival is a massive 4-day event with over 130 performances, 6 fanfares and tens of artists taking over the streets of Angers. 4 days of fun, parties, laughter, spectacular acrobatics and acts, and a wisp of madness…

Gorillas in today's world.

The Museum of Natural History in Nantes, working together with the Rennes Espace des sciences and the Palais de la découverte, is organising an expo dedicated to the king of primates, the elusive, mysterious gorilla.

This animal, born out of the African forest, is an important symbol for many faiths and religious systems. The exhibition will be broken into two sections, both of which attempt to reveal the true nature of these fascinating creatures.

Five themes underpin this event: "Brute or BFG (Big Friendly Giant)?"; "Gorilla and man, a common heritage"; "Gorillas and the tropical forest"; "Watching Gorillas"; and finally "Gorillas in Danger".

This last theme will be a stepping stone onto the next section of the exhibition which aims to discuss what is affecting the life and habitat of the gorilla and what the future holds for this awe-inspiring animal.

The space between 2 and 3D.

The city council in Laval is once again this year organising an art biennial in collaboration with the Regional Contemporary Art Fund (locally known as FRAC) in the Pays de la Loire. The focus of this new edition will be the relationship between painting and sculpture.

The exhibition will thus gather a number of artist programs that work on the fringes of these art forms, in the artistic no man's land so to speak.

The local FRAC will graciously be lending a number of pieces alongside those of guest artists Marcel Dupertuis, Edouard Prulhière and Emmanuelle Livard. Additionally on display will be a variety of artwork lent by the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum in Toulouse, and the LAAC in Dunkirk.

Tasty art…

The Espace Faience museum welcomed Baptiste Ymonet for the first time in 2006. The award-winning artist is now back and will be working with plastic artist Vincent Jousseaume to present a unique exhibition.

Both artists will be working with the local tradition of luxury tableware to create an innovative set based on the theme "Whip Cream" ("Chantilly").

The foundations of a city…

The Thomas Dobrée Archeological Museum in Nantes will for the duration of this exhibition become a gateway allowing you to travel back in time. Discover the history of Nantes and the region, from prehistory to the year one thousand.

From the apparition of humans to the first settlement, witness the birth and evolution of a city.

The beast within the mind…

Discover a world of unicorns, dragons, giants, Krakens, griffins and so many more unimaginable imaginary creatures…

This exhibition will be a fascinating experience for young and old, a trip into the mindscapes of history's great civilisations. Don't miss out on this fantastic journey into a world like no other.

You scared, you yellow?

Nantes:
After a difficult season caught in the purgatory known as Ligue 2, the FC Nantes team is back on track and roaring to reclaim its former glory.

Their massive fan base will be cheering to see that particular Nantes-style football and will be hoping that their club won't be obeying that terrible rule of physics: "what goes up must come down."

A trade fair like no other.

The 72nd edition of the Foire du Mans will take place from September 11th to 15th. With over 55 000m² of exhibition space broken into various sectors (habitat, automobiles, furniture, etc.), visitors can find a multitude of ways to improve their homes or complete their various projects.

The event will be brimming with activities and events; the rich programme includes the traditional "overseas journey" (invitation au voyage) which will this year be focused on the faraway land of Mexico.

Contemporary tapestry…

Atelier 3 ("Workshop 3") was formed in Paris in 1972, in the midst of the Nouvelle Tapisserie movement. Three figures were behind this creation: Frédérique Bachellerie, Peter Schönwald and Michel Slaghenauffi (who left the group in 1978).

Over 700 tapestries have been made in the past 30 years in the confines of this workshop, with over 70 artists collaborating with Atelier 3. These include Man Ray, whose "Revolving Doors" spawned 10 tapestries, but also Corneille, Jorn-Wemaëre, Lindström, Arman, Combas and Downing...

Aside the artwork itself, the workshop members have been researching innovative and sometimes unsettling materials and techniques to apply to their artwork. Always open to new and difficult projects, they are very much in tune with contemporary creation in their field.

Food fit for a king.

Twenty or so producers, farmers, artisans and local businesses in Vendée make this gastronomical tour possible by providing their delicious, fresh or traditional products. Farm-reared chicken, honey, bread…

This year the specialty will be fresh, authentic dishes, pastry, candy, and you can even explore a beehive in full "battle-armour"! A great way to meet people and sample some delectable treats.

An homage.

Raymond Hains was already displaying his work at the Pays de la Loire Contemporary Art Fund (FRAC) in 1998. His photographs and digital works were gathered under the heading "Lemot passe a travers" ("Words pass through it") which was dedicated to François-Frédéric Lemot, a major sculptor.

The FRAC is today home to an impressive collection of works signed by Hains. The Director of the FRAC, Laurence Gateau, has decided to organise this homage in 2008, a decade after the original exhibition. This latest exhibition, "Comme le Verre à travers le Soleil, Autour de Raymond Hains”, aims to shed a new light on the works of Raymond Hains.

Paper, the whole story…

This workshop will be taking place in the Templars' chapel - more than a museum, it is a journey into history. "For graphic arts in the Clisson valley" ("Pour les arts graphiques en Vallée de Clisson") deals with the history and tradition of printing and graphic creation on the banks of the Seine. Young and old will be able to learn about printing techniques thanks to this fascinating initiation.

This will be a learning journey into the past, full of fun, laughter, and fascinating historical facts.

Dedicated to equine perfection.

Visit the famed Cadre Noir de Saumur, the National Horse-riding school of international repute, and delve into the world of horses. This unique area, rich with history, will be open to visitors - discover what happens backstage, the riding school (one of the biggest in Europe), the stables and saddlery. Man's greatest conquest, the horse, lives like a king in the Cadre Noir.

The crossroad of paint and sculpture.

Visages innocents ("innocent faces") and Sortir du trou ("Getting out of the hole"). Paintings by Luz Severino.
Originally from Dominican Republic, Severino works on canvas and hand-made paper. Superimposing, layering, translucency and transparency characterise her work, often with warm, vibrant colours.

Le Corps Humain ("the human body"). Sculptures signed Anne Le Louarn.
From her home in Rouans, Anne Le Louarn crafts representations of the female form in various poses and from various materials. Her expert fingers break matter to extract the sensual edge within.

Experience DJs, art and more.

Scopitone: n. type of jukebox that plays music along with a roll of 16 mm film - forerunner of the modern day music video.

Today, Scopitone is a festival dedicated to electronic music, video art, plastic arts and digital arts. Though revolving around music, the event showcases new talent in all three art forms and is a strong networking hub as well as a great party-place. This festival is different, does not have bands blaring back to back with no rhyme or reason - it is a festive, popular and convivial experience. Don't miss out on the Scopitone festival in Nantes.

Jack up the Amps!

The Teriaki Festival is back after a two-year break. This major event, courtesy of the Teriaki association, will be a series of performances and shows based on the theme "amplified music and scenography".

The programme, stretched over 5 days, includes concerts, installations, conferences, films with live music and a number of exhibitions. The shows will be taking place in a number of venues from Le Mans to Allonnes.

Abstraction in three dimensions.

The Angers Fine-Arts museum is organising a retrospective exhibition dedicated to Anthony Caro, one of the leading figures of abstract sculpture in the past fifty years. Caro is mostly known for his large works of vivid colour, resting on the ground itself.

Sir Anthony Caro was awarded the Order of Merit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in the year 2000 (the first sculptor to do so since Henry Moore in 1963), but he also boasts an extensive list of awards, honorary titles and prestigious academic positions. Caro's influence on the new generations of sculptors is undeniable (Richard Long, Bill Woodrow, Barry Flanagan, etc.).

Caro's specialty is soldering and assembling metallic elements, often painted. He has worked mostly in the UK and the USA, but also throughout Europe and Japan.

A festive experience for the whole family.

Discover the magical world of the "Children's City" and the Chapelle en fête festival throughout the town centre of Chapelle-sur-Erdre.

The Ville aux Enfants will be set up from 10AM to 7PM on the church square and in the Gilière park. Activities and attractions will be organised for children aged 3 to 12; these include trampolines, adventure trails, bouncy castles, merry-go-rounds, pony-rides, make-up workshops and all sorts of sweets and tasty things will be available.

The fair itself will be taking place from 2PM to midnight at the théâtre de verdure and on the lawns of the local town hall; expect some great rides, games and street performances for the whole family.

Shedding light on Raymond.

The local contemporary arts centre (FRAC) organises an exhibition once a year in Clisson.

Marion Daniel, who had directed the creation of the Raymond Hains, la Boite a fiches photo-book, published for his eponymous exhibition in Saint-Brieuc in 03-04. This year, she has been invited by the FRAC to exhibit a selection of public works relating to Hains which shed a different light on the artist's work, in particular its connection to younger generations.

Anti-gravity Art.

In this installation by Lithuanian artist Zilvinas Kempinas, a series of fans enable a strip of video tape to literally levitate in the exhibition space.

Kempinas creates a magical universe where an inanimate object comes to life and becomes a fleeting form, floating against the wall in random patterns.

Gardening on film.

A number of middle school students will be displaying their photographis work at the Est Floresca Guepin Multimedia Library in Nantes.

The students had been working in the park of the Grand Blottereau Horticulture School and have created a fresco revolving around 6 imaginary locations.

Art, Music and Fun!

Once again this year the [F]Estivales is back. The now-famous "café de l'été" (or "summer café"), which has been going for 19 years, is a series of free concerts every Thursday and Friday (July 3rd to August 15th) on the lush lawn of the town hall's garden.

Another great event, the "terrasses Nap" (or "Nap terraces", short for Napoleon): 7 concerts by talented local performers, completely free of charge, taking place every Friday (July 11th to August 22nd) on the place Napoléon.

That's already quite a programme, but there's more: theatre, exhibitions, open-air dancing balls, outdoor movie projections, a fireworks display, guided tours… The [F]Estivales isn't just an event, its a whole season of art, music and fun!

Doors open just for your eyes.

Make the most of the European Heritage Days to visit the historic monuments in the Clisson valley; many private houses and sites will be open to the public for the occasion. Guided tours and activities abound. Experience the region's unique character, where red brick and tiles blend with dark slate and concrete.

Musical fireworks.

Les Tambours du Bronx ("Drums of the Bronx") are not just any ensemble. Theirs is a career representing 1 000 concerts worldwide, 10 000 beaten oil drums, 80 000 broken sticks, 6 albums and 1 DVD.

Their show is rounded, powerful, and unsettling, layered with hypnotic rhythms and subtle melodies. TDB have given joy and excitement to entire crowds, a whole generation. TDB is the major reference of our time in terms of industrial-style experimental percussions.

Everyday life in empty spaces.

Tatiana Trouvé, winner of the 2007 Marcel Duchamp award, has been working on a series of projects at the FRAC (a regional contemporary art fund). This recent work tells us a great deal about her rapid artistic evolution.

Trouvé's landmark installation is the Bureau of Implicit Activities (Bureau des Activités Implicites or BAI). Set up since 1997, this expansive piece is made up of complex architectural modules each of which is a spatial representation of different components of her everyday life ("Administrative Module", "Waiting Module"…). Over time the BAI was added to with Polders (Dutch word for artificial islands or land expansion) - these elements defy normal scale and are grafted to the BAI like so many new "compartments" or activities in one's life.

More recently, her work has been focused on a functional space with no function, a meaningless, nameless sculpture, drawing or installation that is nevertheless filled with a sense of potentiality...

Varini: infinite variation

Since the 80's, Felice Varini has been working on painting techniques that experiment with architectural space. Using perspective as a descriptive mechanism, he settled on a particular architectural concept as his key, as a lens and vehicle through which architecture mimics common geometic designs. These forms open up and break down into fragments.

Felice Varini will be displaying his Suite de triangles ("Series of Triangles") at the Saint-Nazaire harbour.

All nature's wealth.

A short distance from La Baule and the salt marshes of Guérande and only a few kilometres from Nantes, the Brière marshes, designated a Parc Naturel Régional in 1970, have been preserved for us through the work of generations of Briérons who subsisted by digging peat, grazing their animals, cutting thatch, fishing and hunting. This vast area of land now counts as one of the most biologically diverse in Europe in terms of its water-fowl and aquatic plants.
The thatched cottage, with its covering of reeds, is also a key feature of the Briéron landscape.

The marshes are now under threat and subject to considerable pressure: Park plans for the coming years are aimed at protecting the setting, preserving and restoring the region's biological treasures and keeping the Brière alive.

To feel the magic of the place, simply set off downstream in a punt steered by a Briéron guide, watch the birds and witness the life and activities of the marshes, glide through the thatched villages of Fédrun and Kerhinet, and explore the soul of the place by visiting the Park's 5 museums.

Almost a century old.

The park began as a small wood that was transformed into a public park by the Société Immobilière de La Baule-les-Pins development company.
It was opened at the same time as the beach at La Baule-Les Pins on 1 July 1923.
Louis Lajarrige bought the park in 1937 and donated it to the town in 1951.
Covering an area of 25,000m² and more, the park contains over three hundred trees - ornamental, deciduous and conifers - and close on twenty thousand plants.

Over 900 years of history.

Founded in 1101 by Robert d'Arbrissel, the royal abbey of Fontevraud is first and foremost a place steeped in history: peopled by memories of Eleanor of Aquitaine, of Richard the Lionheart and the Plantagenet King Henry II, or of the Bourbon Princesses; haunted by its more recent past as a political prison. In 1975, thanks to the efforts of Minister Olivier Guichard and on the combined initiative of the Pays de la Loire Region and the French Ministry of Culture, the abbey became a Cultural Centre and meeting-place, with responsibility for managing the monument's heritage and culture.
The royal abbey of Fontevraud is more than just a monument and museum, however, despite being the proud possessor of the recumbent figures of three kings; it is also home to an original cultural project run by the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest (CCO): exhibitions, debates and religious music all aim to bring the worlds of art and new information technology together, to link architecture with virtual reality, to advance research in the field of imaging heritage.
A centre for heritage-related creation and training, Fontevraud welcomes not just artists in residence but also many students.
Nine centuries of Western history stand here in 14 hectares of parkland: Fontevraud, which is part of the Val de Loire UNESCO World Heritage site, is a fitting home for such activities, which link the exceptional wealth of our culture to modern Europe and the modern world.

Admire the coastline.

This 4.8km walk starts from the lake and then follows the Grande Plage along the coastline and its inlets before joining the Sentier des Douaniers footpath and continuing.
Follow the Maxence beach (near which a chalybeate spring still rises, its waters rich in iron).
Next cross the chimney carved into the cliff, known as the Trou de l'Enfer (hell hole).
Pass by the 19th century Château de la Gressière.
End your walk by returning to the Parc Thibaud.
Throughout the walk, the rugged coastline offers magnificent views which can be enjoyed from sea level since the path often runs along the beach. Be sure to set off at low tide, however, otherwise parts of the route will no longer be accessible on foot.

Nantes, a modern, contemporary city.

From industrial architecture like the Batignolles plant or the famous Lefèvre-Utile (LU) factory, now home to the Nantes national theatre, from religious buildings like the parish church of Sainte-Thérèse, from modern housing or offices (Le Corbusier's Delamarre building) to post-war reconstruction, from Art Nouveau (villa Jeannette) to Art Déco (CGA building), Nantes is chock-full of an exciting urban contemporary architectural heritage most of which was built during the "Trente Glorieuses", the heady years of post-war expansion from 1945 to 1975.