Fondation Opale

In the waters of Lake Louché, the façade of Fondation Opale — which is made of 84 glass solar panels — reflects itself and the Alps that surround it. It’s a game of mirrors that invites internal reflection. Headquarters of the former Pierre Arnaud Foundation, the building has been occupied by Fondation Opale since 2018: the result of several dreams merging.

Overwhelmed by emotion
In 2002, Bérengère Primat attended the Parisian inauguration of an exhibition that was dedicated to Australian Aboriginal art. She fell in love instantly with the artworks, (which express a primordial quest for mankind’s origins and the creation of the world)... and with the exhibition’s curator, as well. She purchased two pieces. Her new companion taught her all about the worlds he had already spent years exploring, via the mosaic of a people who, for 65,000 years, shaped the origins of Australia. It was an Adventure with a capital “A”.

Around the fire, in both the red desert of the outback and the monsoon-soaked regions of Arnhem Land, creation and conversation both revolved — always — around the concept of dreams. The complex cosmology of oral traditions and legends centred around the origin of everything, the spirit world that came long before the living roamed the earth, and which defined the very laws of the universe and the place we each hold within it. It was a powerful way of repositioning man as the core of the very Nature that created him.

The roots of Aboriginal art
As an heiress of the Schlumberger family — which is deeply involved in patronage — the young woman slowly, over the course of her travels, built one of the world’s most remarkable Aboriginal art collections. The collection contains 1,540 works that are exposed on a rotating basis over the centre’s 1,000 m2 and in the foundation’s two annual exhibitions. Her mission? “To share the great value of this form of artistic expression”, says Bérengère. Why? “The first word that comes to mind is Respect. Respect for nature (which man is part of), the cycle of life, and traditions that have been adapted to ‘fit the times’. The second word that comes to mind is Adaptation, because anything that does not evolve disappears, and Aboriginal artists knew how to translate their ephemeral ceremonial artworks into contemporary paintings — which today are sold at ArtBasel!”

 “I dreamed up the very first exhibitions”, reminisced Bérengère. “Today, the exhibitions come together through collaborative conversations with Georges Petitjean, my collection curator”. On December 15, a new exhibition will premiere: Nothing’s too beautiful for the gods, “an exploration of the many diverse works that are inspired by spirituality, highlighting alters and contemporary works from a variety of different religious traditions”. What better way to reframe the place of Aboriginal artists in the global art scene?

A foundation with great ambitions
In addition to its partnerships with some of the world’s most important cultural institutions (like the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech, the MUDEC in Milan, the Cartier Foundation, the Palais de Tokyo), Fondation Opale dedicates a lot of time to organising its own regular events: guided visits, creative workshops for all ages, opportunities to meet the artists, conferences, projections and even theatre.

Recent renovations were undertaken to reflect the centre’s grand ambitions. The Fondation recently received a new wing, with a façade of aluminium panels that features a reproduction of artwork by Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles Tjapaltjarri, which was “chosen for its sacredness — it evokes a guardian of the cave of knowledge”. The new wing houses a 124-seat auditorium, a media library that also contains archives, and an art storeroom, all in the spirit of welcoming the public to discover artwork that was created by planet’s oldest living culture. 

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