Opening of The Turbulences – FRAC Centre
Saturday 14 September 2013
ArchiLab 2013: Naturalizing Architecture
14 September 2013–2 February 2014
The Turbulences – FRAC Centre
88 rue du Colombier
45000 Orléans
France
T +33 (0)2 38 62 52 00
www.frac-centre.fr
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From 14 September 2013, the Regional Fund for Contemporary Art in the Centre region (FRAC Centre) opens its doors in a new location perfectly in tune with its missions and vocation: the diffusion of contemporary art and architecture.
The dynamic development of the architectural extension concept from architects Jakob + MacFarlane, associated with the artists Electronic Shadow, gave the new venue its name: The Turbulences.
The programme will be heralded by the 9th ArchiLab, international architecture meeting and some thirty events associated with Orléans and in the Centre region: Archipel.
The FRAC Centre: A unique collection of architecture
The FRAC, a result of the cultural decentralisation in the 1980s, a specific agreement between the state and the regions, who are celebrating their thirtieth anniversary this year, has become a model for the diffusion of contemporary art and regional presence, a perpetually evolving model, as evidenced by the FRAC Centre.
A collection, a laboratory, a resource, and a centre for research, as well as a site for experimentation, The Turbulences – FRAC Centre will offer another experience of art and architecture.
Its unique collection brings together contemporary art and experimental architecture from the 1950s to today. Internationally renowned, to date it includes some 15,000 architectural drawings, 800 models and 600 works by artists.
The FRAC Centre, funded by the Centre region and the Ministry of Culture and Communication, is one of a ‘new generation’ of FRAC institutions that have already proved themselves as centres of cultural appeal. The objective is to engage dialogue between disciplines at the heart of new equipment. Its programme will join museum collection functions and artistic experimentation, mediation and cultural activities.
In this context, FRAC Centre is located at the former Subsistances militaires site in Orléans. This architectural renovation was undertaken by the Centre region, the contracting authority, in cooperation with the state – Ministry of Culture and Communication – regional office of cultural affairs (DRAC), Europe (under FEDER) and the City of Orléans.
Innovative and daring architecture
Architects Jakob + MacFarlane, managing the project, have opted for a strong physical presence. The extension, christened The Turbulences because of its prefabricated tubular structure covered by an anodised aluminium casing, conceptualizes dynamic architecture. Partly covered by an interactive ‘veil of light,’ produced by the joint winner artists Electronic Shadow, The Turbulences will be programmed in real time.
New Features
The FRAC Centre will have new features within its 3,000 square meters: a permanent gallery (375 square meters) displaying the collection’s flagship works; temporary exhibition rooms (approximately 1000 square meters); a pedagogical workshop (180 square meters); a documentation centre; and a garden designed by ruedurepos (400 square meters).
The Turbulences (500 square meters), a public reception area, comprises a cafeteria, a bookshop and a screen projection. Furthermore, the FRAC Centre benefits from outsourced art work reserves (1,500 square meters).
The FRAC Centre, a research laboratory for architecture, will provide a valuable tool for developing a transdisciplinary cultural programme centred on relationships between art, architecture and design.
Inaugural event:
9th ArchiLab, Naturalizing Architecture
14 September 2013–2 February 2014
Created in 1999 by the City of Orléans and co-founded by Marie-Ange Brayer and Frédéric Migayrou, ArchiLab, laboratoire international d’architecture, was immediately acclaimed as a reference event for a young generation of architects oriented towards research and experimentation. Since its creation, ArchiLab has become a peerless platform, enjoying wide national and international renown.
The new ArchiLab event will introduce the latest progress in terms of research in digital architecture and its interaction with the sciences, permitted by the simulation of growth phenomena in the living world.
This international exhibition will bring together the projects of 40 architects, designers and artists who will present their work and the relation it builds with nanotechnology, biotechnology and simulation.
The public will have a chance to discover models, digital shows, screenings, and interactive environments, as well as experimental pavilions, specially designed for the exhibition.
The challenges of this exhibition will be covered in two symposiums.
Curators: Marie-Ange Brayer, Frédéric Migayrou
Assistant curator: Emmanuelle Chiappone-Piriou
Contacts:
Communication
Amélie Evrard
T + 33 (0)2 38 21 79 53 / amelie.evrard [at] frac-centre.fr
National and International Press
Heymann, Renoult Associées
T + 33 (0)1 44 61 76 76
Sarah Heymann, Raphaële Gruet, Eleonora Alzetta
r.gruet [at] heymann-renoult.com / e.alzetta [at] heymann-renoult.com
