The iconic Villa Cavrois in Croix, France, is currently showcasing a remarkable exhibition that brings together contemporary masterworks from the Frac Picardie collection with the villa's legendary modernist architecture. Running until December 14, 2025, this unique display explores the theme of "the line" in its various artistic expressions as part of the Festival Fiesta.
The exhibition celebrates the concept of line drawing in all its forms, featuring contemporary works that engage in dialogue with the architectural elements of this historic venue. Some of the displayed pieces are monumental in scale, creating striking contrasts and harmonies with the villa's distinctive spaces designed by renowned architect Robert Mallet-Stevens.
Pascal Neveu, director of Frac Picardie, expressed his enthusiasm while walking through the emblematic venue: "This villa is remarkable! It has always been inhabited by works of art, there is a dialogue between the life of this villa and contemporary writings. We used the line as a common thread in the conception of this exhibition." The director emphasized how the villa's monumental rooms - including the refectory, children's bedroom, and living room - inspire reflection and provide unique energy and emotions that guided the exhibition's curators.
The exhibition creates what Neveu describes as "a game of correspondence" with the architecture, inventing a new vocabulary around the concept of line. Standing between two works by Swiss artist Gilgian Gelzer displayed in one of the bedrooms, he explained: "Behind a line, there can be a lot of poetry. It can seem abstract and cold while taking different forms. Here we notice the idea of gesture, its bodily dimension - the line becomes a flow of energy, it's an expressionist gesture."
Neveu reflected on the universal nature of drawing, stating: "We have all drawn at some point in our lives. Drawing is omnipresent in our environment. Everyone can draw, with a simple pencil or a digital tool." This philosophy underlies the exhibition's accessible approach to contemporary art, making complex artistic concepts relatable to visitors of all backgrounds.
The Frac Picardie collection, which houses 1,500 works created by nearly 500 artists, provides a rich repository from which the Villa Cavrois exhibition draws its pieces. This extensive collection represents decades of contemporary artistic production, offering curators a diverse range of works that explore various interpretations of linear expression in modern art.
