Fondation OPALE

Established in 2018, Fondation Opale is the sole contemporary art centre dedicated to the promotion of Aboriginal art in Europe. It strives to facilitate dialogue between peoples and cultures through art. The foundation is based on the Collection Bérengère Primat, including more than 1300 works by nearly 350 artists, making it one of the world’s largest collections of contemporary Aboriginal artists in private ownership. Fondation Opale is a non-profit organization which objectives are strictly cultural and artistic.

Located in the heart of Lens/Crans-Montana’s alpine panorama (Valais, Switzerland) at an altitude of 1140 meters, Fondation Opale offers visitors the opportunity to discover temporary exhibitions of international scope on two floors of nearly 1000 m2. These exhibitions highlight universal themes and values carried by contemporary Aboriginal art and build bridges with modern and contemporary artworks from around the world.

Focusing mainly on visual arts (painting, sculpture, photography, installations, etc.), the foundation is also open to other disciplines such as the performing arts, music and literature in the form of special events. Every exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue and a public program that includes workshops for all publics, residencies, conferences and artist talks, as well as academic research projects. In addition to its weekly activities (public guided tours and yoga classes), the foundation organises two to three events per month. Its shop and bookstore, a member of the Indigenous Art Code, sources many objects from Aboriginal communities in Australia.

Fondation Opale works closely with local and regional communities in order to improve cultural and tourism offerings in the region of Lens/Crans-Montana, and thus actively contributes to its development. Its educational programme promotes inclusive access to culture through state-of-the art, constantly updated museum pedagogy