Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Vassivière International Art and Landscape Centre is a place dedicated to contemporary art, located on the island of Vassivière, in the heart of an artificial lake created by a dam on the Maunde. This site, on horseback between Haute-Vienne and Creuse, connects nature and artistic creation. The island, accessible by a pedestrian bridge from Beaumont-du-Lac, houses a sculpture park and exhibition spaces designed to interact with the landscape.

The centre's history began in 1983 with a sculpture symposium, followed in 1985 by the first orders for outdoor works. The art centre was officially established in 1989, with buildings signed by architect Aldo Rossi and built under Xavier Fabre's direction. In 2005, he took his current name and in 2018 obtained the label Centre d'art contemporain d'intégration nationale. The place is distinguished by its temporary exhibitions, its Wood of sculptures (about 60 works) and its artist residences.

The CIAP offers three annual exhibitions, accompanied by conferences and debates. Its iconic architecture includes a conical headlight and an exhibition nave. Since 2015, a programme of renovation of the Sculpture Wood has been carried out in partnership with the Heritage Foundation. Artists' residences, launched in 2012 in the former castle of the island, host projects related to landscape and local history, with three residents per season.

The artists featured include Evariste Richer, Adel Abdessemed, Huang Yong Ping, or Andy Goldsworthy. Seasonal facilities such as Yona Friedman's Eiffel Unicorn (2009) enrich the cultural offer. The management of the centre was successively undertaken by Dominique Marchès (1989–2000), Guy Tortosa (2001–2004), Chiara Parisi (2004–2011), Marianne Lanres (2012–2021), and Alexandra McIntosh since 2021.

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