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Key figures

Origin and history

The Foundation of Doubt is a museum and exhibition centre of contemporary art located in Blois, carried by artist Ben and the city. It is mainly dedicated to the Fluxus movement, an iconoclastic artistic current born in the 1960s, which rejects institutions and seeks to abolish the boundaries between art and life. The site covers 1,500 m2 and houses nearly 350 works of some 40 international artists, from the collections of Ben, Gino Di Maggio and the Mudima Foundation of Milan.

The Foundation aims to be a living space, combining permanent exhibition, artist residences and pedagogy. It includes a World Center for Questioning, a café designed as a work of art (Le Fluxus), and an exhibition pavilion in a 19th century cloister. Its aim is to promote exchange, humor and concomitance, building on events, performances and temporary exhibitions. Access is made by the Court of Doubt, adorned with the Wall of Words, a monumental installation of Ben dating back to 1995.

The permanent exhibition, renewed in 2022, explores Fluxus through 11 thematic chapters over 1,000 m2. The movement, initiated by George Maciunas, advocates a playful and provocative non-art, inspired by Duchamp and Dada. The Foundation regularly enriches its collection through temporary loans (Centre Pompidou, Centre des livres d'artistes) and summer events (concerts, performances). She is enrolled in a local arts centre, including an art school and a conservatory, to promote research and education.

The Foundation's vocation is to question the limits of art, combining theory, manifestness and action. Ben imagines an Art Total, where doubt and experimentation prevail. The venue welcomes artists, theorists and publics for meetings and residences, in a spirit of conviviality and permanent questioning. Its identity is based on values such as humour, ephemeralness and the transgression of traditional artistic norms.

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