Inauguration of the exhibition “A la crotz daus chamins” 

The exhibition " At the crotz on the paths / At the Crossroads” is currently being held in Nontron until April 5. It retraces the stages of a creative research residency conducted in 2024 in Périgord-Limousin and combining arts and crafts and Occitan culture.

The origins of the project

In 2024, 9 art professionals were entrusted with the mission of promote the cultural heritage of the territory on the hiking route of the Great loop of the ParkThis project, led by the Park, IPAMAC (Inter-Parcs Massif Central) and the Experimental Center for Arts and Crafts of Nontron and Périgord-Limousin (PEMA), aimed to highlight the local heritage riches along the route. Each of the 9 stages of the route is dedicated to a emblematic character of the Occitan universe, The creators organized themselves so as to work according to the affinities with their own universes. They were guided in this work by Jean-François Vignaud of theInstitute of Occitan Studies of Limousin.

During the year, the Park agents presented them with the sites chosen for the installation of the creations, emphasizing their specificities (materials, nature of the plots, etc.) and their natural environment so that respected local balances (fauna, flora, geology, etc.). The residency format, coordinated by the team of the Pôle Expérimental Métiers d'Art, encouraged theinteraction between artisans, the exchange of ideas, know-how and skills and the emergence of collaborations or dialogues between the works. At the end of this residency, the artists proposed 9 projects of works, intended to be installed, in a second phase, on the route of the Grande Boucle du Parc.

A dive into the creative process

The exhibition " At the crotz on the paths / At the Crossroads” currently underway, presents the creative process and the final projects through numerous drawings, but also with the help of models and tests that were carried out during the residency. It offers the opportunity for residents and elected officials of the territory to discover the sculpture projects and to exchange with their designers. The exhibition was inaugurated on March 28, in the presence of 7 of the craftsmen, Mr. Lucien Coindeau, Vice-president of the Park in charge of culture and Mr. José Ferré, President of PEMA.

As part of this exhibition, the PEMA and the Park are organizing three public workshops, led by three of the artisans who took part in the residency. These workshops, free upon registration (3 3 05 53 60 – contact@metiersdartperigord.fr), are intended to offer residents the opportunity to experience the creative process for themselves, whether by making a chestnut/ash stool or by working with clay.

At the crotz on the paths / At the crossroads
From March 28 to April 5 (except Sunday)
09:00 a.m. – 13:00 p.m. / 14:00 p.m. – 17:00 p.m.
Nontron Town Hall
1 Place Alfred Agard