Almost everyone knows the Landes Forest, but few know that it houses contemporary art works. This month, Camping Le Saint Martin takes you on a stroll through the Contemporary Art Forest, where you can discover works installed in the heart of the Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park.
The Landes Forest: a space for expression for contemporary artists
Created in 2009, the Contemporary Art Forest of Landes is the result of a collaboration between various cultural stakeholders in the Landes region, including the Culture et Loisirs de Sabres association, the Floralies de Garein, and the Marquèze Ecomuseum. The idea is to create a unique artistic expression space in a rural environment by using the Landes de Gascogne forest massif as an exhibition venue for art works. Artists in residence, both French and international, are invited to develop projects linking contemporary art, nature, and the history of the Landes forest.
Discovery Trail: art itinerary and enchanted walk in the Landes forest
The Contemporary Art Forest of Landes is a unique project that uses the forest as an exhibition space for art works. A must-visit place for art lovers and nature enthusiasts. Guide-mediators offer themed family walks in the forest to learn more about the artists and their works through the lens of storytelling, nature, wonderful animals, ancestral traditions, or through artistic practice by combining it with a sculpture initiation workshop, for example.
From Pontenx-les-Forges to Luxey, passing through the Marquèze ecomuseum and Arjuzanx, several itineraries dedicated to contemporary art allow walkers to discover the art works hidden in the Landes forest. They are generally installed in strategic locations within the forest, chosen for their natural beauty and visual impact.
Each work is unique in terms of size, shape, and material. You can find monumental installations, sculptures, paintings, photographs, and even videos. Some are discreet and literally blend into the natural landscape, while others are more imposing and do not go unnoticed. Nearly 27 art works (including three digital ones) now make up the collection of this Contemporary Art Forest. A permanent open-air exhibition constantly evolving, as the artistic trail is enriched with new works each year.
5 Contemporary Artists to Discover in the Landes Forest
If you explore the trails of the Landes forest during your stay at Camping ***** Le Saint Martin, let yourself be surprised by nature and contemporary art by discovering these 5 unusual art works hidden in the forest.
1. The "Overturned Table" (to see in Garein): its real name being "To the Impetuous Maneuvers of the Unforeseen", this work by Alain Domagala recounts the trauma of storm Klaus for the inhabitants, through an everyday object.
2. "The Landes Organs" (to see in Arjuzanx): French visual artist Séverine Hubard used 120 tons of pine wood for this wonderful construction inspired by the basaltic organs of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.
3. The statue of "Saint George and his companion dragon" (to see in Bellis): German artist Stefan Rinck sculpts stone to bring to life creatures as mythological as they are phantasmagorical.
4. "Hello Apollo" (to see in Luxey): the god Apollo taking a bath, a quirky and offbeat sculpture 3 m high and 4.50 m long, created by Gironde artist Marine Julié.
5. "Vis Mineralis" (to see in Commensacq): Stéphanie Cherpin fossilized and transformed into a cave an old wagon that once ran on the railway line connecting the Sabres to Labouheyre station.
