Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The International Museum of Modest Arts (MIAM) was inaugurated in November 2000 in Sète, Hérault, under the leadership of artists Hervé Di Rosa and Bernard Belluc. Installed in an old wine cellar renovated by architect Patrick Bouchain, he devotes himself to modest arts: manufactured objects, toys, figurines and peripheral creations with raw or naive art. The museum houses the collections of its founders, enriched by public orders such as sculptures by the Dakpogan brothers or a model of Bodys Isek Kingelez. Its modest plant garden, designed by Liliana Motta, completes the outdoor space.

In 23 years of activity, MIAM has organized over 50 exhibitions, attracting thousands of annual visitors. Highlights include Psychedelices (2021), Kinshasa Chronicles (2018-2019), or Mondo Last Cri (2019-2021), dedicated to screen printing. The museum also collaborates with international institutions, such as the Lisbon MAAT, and prepares a move in 2026 to a site of 4,000 m2, quadruple its current surface. Its radiation exceeds Occitanie, with exhibitions outside the walls in France and abroad.

MIAM includes an educational component, La Petite Épicerie, created in 2010 in partnership with the Municipal School of Fine Arts in Sète. This service offers art workshops hosted by teachers and guest artists, in connection with temporary exhibitions. The museum is distinguished by its adventurous and inclusive approach, combining contemporary art, raw art and popular cultures, while remaining anchored in the setinous territory.

The permanent collections, called Modest Vitrines, present thousands of objects from modest art, while the courtyard houses facilities such as The Garden of Small Plants. MIAM has also co-produced thematic exhibitions, such as Évasions, art without freedom (2018) on prison creations, or Shadoks (2016), a tribute to the cult series. Its history reflects a desire to democratize art and celebrate marginal creations.

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