A FOUNDATION DEDICATED TO AFRICAN CONTEMPORARY ART

The Blachère Foundation

Contemporary African creation in the spotlight

Our corporate foundation was established in 2004 by Jean-Paul Blachère to support contemporary African creation and promote artists from the continent. Through its art center, it hosts exhibitions and artist residencies. The foundation also organizes creative workshops in Africa and Europe and takes part in major African biennales, including the renowned Dakar Biennale.

The History of the Blachere Foundation

The Blachère Foundation is the foundation of the company Blachère Illumination, created in 2003 by Jean-Paul Blachère, the founder and former director of Blachère Illumination.
In 2000, following the discovery of a retrospective on contemporary African art in Lille, Jean Paul Blachère’s commitment to the patronage of artists took concrete form.


One year after its creation, the art centre was inaugurated in the Bourguignons industrial zone, which already housed the Blachère Illumination company.
In 2023, 20 years later, under the impetus of its present director Christine Allain-Launay Blachère, the foundation moved from the industrial zone in Apt to the former Bonnieux train station in the heart of the Luberon Regional Park.


By relocating, the private institution is getting a new lease on life and taking the opportunity to reinvent itself, while remaining true to its ethical and aesthetic values.

19 000

Visitors and Schoolchildren in 2024

20

Years of Existence in Provence

460

Artists were invited to residences in Apt and Ngaparou.

48

Exhibitions took place in our art centre.

20 years of existence in Provence

The Foundation will be more innovative and inclusive than ever, with a series of creative residencies, solo and group exhibitions, while enriching the experiences through the new spaces now at its disposal, such as the documentation centre and the artist’s studios.

Discover the new exhibition : fondationblachere.org

 

Also Resource Centre

The Foundation will be more innovative and inclusive than ever, with a series of creative residencies, solo and group exhibitions, while enriching the experiences through the new spaces now at its disposal, such as the documentation centre and the artist’s studios.

Collaboration with our research & development department

During artist residencies, participants have the opportunity to work closely with our Research & Development department. Through experimentation and the exchange of knowledge, our teams provide materials and tools to enable artists to create works that are later exhibited at the Blachere Foundation.

Creative workshops

The workshops, led by a dedicated facilitator, come to life within the Museum and extend to the former Bonnieux train station, a place of new beginnings. Each session is inspired by a specific artwork or a collection of works from the exhibitions hosted at the heart of the Foundation.

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Blachère Foundation: 20 Years Supporting African Contemporary Art

Since 2004, the Blachère Foundation has championed African contemporary art and its artists through exhibitions, residencies, and creative workshops in Africa and Europe. Located in Provence, it actively participates in major events like the Dakar Biennale. This unique art center highlights Africa’s cultural richness and fosters international artistic exchanges.