"A playground for art," Contemporary Summer welcomes a host of artists to Draguignan

It is one of the oldest contemporary art exhibitions in France. The event, created in the 1990s by Fabrice d'Agosto, then a young history student, is unveiling its 33rd edition.

Now in charge of the Contemporary Art Unit at the Urban Art Library, the enthusiast reflects on his desire to highlight the work of artists from very eclectic backgrounds.

"I wanted to popularize contemporary art. By offering the event in the form of a tour, it allows visitors to experience the city in a different way," explains the Dracénois, proud to see the event continue.

Inaugurated at the chapel of the Good Shepherd, in the presence of Nathalie Perez-Leroux, delegate for cultural action within Dracénie Provence Verdon agglomeration (DPVa), this annual event welcomes the works of seven creators (see below), in two emblematic cultural places of the city of the Dragon: the chapel of the Good Shepherd and the Chabran cultural center.

Sculpture, painting, engraving, photography or even collage... Art lovers will be spoiled for choice, like these contemporary tapestries hanging on the walls of the chapel, which are immediately visible to visitors as soon as they enter the doors of the former religious building.

In addition, and in order to enrich the summer exhibition in a fun and original way, a treasure hunt will allow visitors to stroll through the town, discovering the local heritage.

"It's a way of seeing the city as a playground and an art field," continues Fabrice d'Agosto.

Perhaps at the end, the discovery of the Holy Grail? "Pebbles made by the artist Céline Sassatelli will be hidden in places around Draguignan," explains the Varois.

Then, you just have to pay attention to the clues that will be given as they happen on the Artothèque's Instagram page ( @artodraguignan ) during these two summer months. "Whoever discovers a pebble will come and exchange it for a real work of art created by the artist."

Four paintings representing the four seasons and fairytale heroines will be offered to the winners.

They are currently on display in the Good Shepherd Chapel, which houses the Art Library year-round.

An exhibition center, the site welcomes fans of this collection of art works loaned to individuals, previously located at the Pôle Chabran. "Relocating it was a gamble, we quadrupled the attendance. It works very well. On Saturdays, we don't stop!" assures the manager of the site.

Further proof that the cultural offerings in Dracénie are flourishing: "After the desert, it's a boom! In the city center, there are now different options, notes Fabrice d'Agosto. I see everyone and it's a success," he concludes.

Contemporary Summer welcomes new artists from all over France. Three of them are exhibiting at the Chapelle du Bon Pasteur.

Sophie Achilli offers a mix of collages, cutouts, and engravings presented in three-dimensional form and in the form of box-pictures, also known as dioramas. The result is imaginary portraits, scenes, and landscapes. These boxes of curiosities are often presented as part of a larger ensemble.

Matthieu Faury explores a personal universe that blends epic, bestiary, Darwinianism, distorted architecture, and a desire for nature. His artistic practice combines drawing, sculpture, installation, and performance.

His exhibited works are totems covered with swirls of glazed terracotta, suggesting growth and ever-changing energy.

Aurélia Jaubert is a versatile artist who works across a wide range of media. Neither classical tapestry, nor giant canvas, nor collage, the works in the chapel resemble a kind of "patchwork on antique tapestry," explains the artist, who creates new compositions such as this painting above the altar entitled "Winged Deer."

"The idea is to bring together these needleworks and make them into something more visible, something that comes out of the shadows," explains the Parisian artist.

Bérénice Szajner exhibits her works in the Cabinet of Curiosities. The core ambition of her work is to reconsider and reweave the distorted and fragmented nature-human-animal relationship. Through art, she strives to highlight the beauty of different species.

Christine Gendre Bèrgère came to engraving by working with the black lines of Indian ink drawing. She began her career engraving series to tell stories. This allowed her to explore various themes in depth, which she approaches from different angles. Her sources of inspiration are cinema, literature, and the spirit of the times.

Jean-Luc Caradec exhibits his photographs in the conservatory lobby. He has this desire "to catch a moment or a fragment of beauty or emotion on the fly." His artistic approach is somewhat in the spirit of a "visual diary," with a taste for blur, distortions, textures, superpositions...

Eléonore Dadoit Cousin salvages scraps of images from magazines, postcards from the past, and photographs, using them to create instant collages. She designed the poster for Contemporary Summer.

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Furthermore, a small contemporary art trail made up of around twenty works is visible in the form of a permanent exhibition at the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions (ATP).

Info+ Contemporary Summer, until September 13, Chapelle du Bon Pasteur, rue Roumanille, Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday closed.

Chabran cultural center at usual times, more information on: culture.dracenie.com .