2018 For Immediate Release

PRESS CONFERENCE: 30 March, 2018 10am Email: [email protected] Telephone: 06 14 39 16 50

AVEYRON, – Built a thousand years ago on a gigantic rock, this magnificent fortress rises above one of the most beautiful villages in the region of France. A self-guided tour, rich with historical information, leads visitors over the moat and throughout the castle and its grounds.

Only recently was this private chateau, with its lush courtyards, medieval chapels, prison and superb views, opened to the public. Fernand Pouillon, (1912-1986), architect, visionary and award-winning author and Officer of the Légion d’Honneur, devoted himself completely to the restoration of Château de Belcastel after he discovered it in ruins in 1973. Now, what was once the private residence of Fernand Pouillon offers itself as an architectural gem, an historical landmark and host to a collection of unique art galleries. More about Fernand Pouillon. Today, the Château de Belcastel stands as a successful collaboration between art and architecture. Visitors discover revolving exhibitions of art and sculpture curated by the owner of AFA Gallery of SoHo, New York.

2018 EXHIBITIONS Antique Objects A liturgical calendar dating from 1843 that belonged to Don Joallis Francisci de Saunhac de Belcastel, then Archbishop of Elne. Offered at the Château by the late historian Robert Taussat, exhibited in the 15th century chapel An original family tree of the Saunhac, which traces the ancestry of the family to Charlemagne. Offered by Count Overto Serra of Saunhac de Belcastel A stone Virgin Mary of the 7th century, exposed in the 9th century chapel A 15th century Madonna restored with gold and silver leaf, exhibited in the 15th century seigneurial chapel Art & Sculpture Off the Wall | The French debut of Spanish artist J DEMSKY. Exhibition of 8 new artworks in the principal gallery Vernissage 22 June | The Artist will create a street art project in the prison gallery and autograph his exhibition poster Duplicity | French Artist Pierre MATTER debuts a collection of new bronze sculptures throughout the chateau

2018 EVENTS 31 March | 10am Chateau is open to the public 31 March to 13 May | Easter treasure hunt for children 7 & 8 April | Adult/child treasure hunt and exclusive art exhibition 22 June | Vernissage 6 July-17 August | 6pm-10pm Market in the village on Friday evenings 21st & 22nd July | Belcastel Fête. More information 20 October to 4 November | Treasure hunt for children 4 November | Last weekend castle is open before closing

Location| The village of Belcastel is located in Aveyron, halfway between Villefranche-de-Rouergue and (20 km West from Rodez) – Map Available | General visits, private events, Tower Suite rental, commercial shoots, group tours (with reservation), gift shop, local wine, picnic area, château tour with tour booklet or official souvenir guidebook (average 45-60 minutes) 2018 VISITOR INFO| Château and galleries open 31 March–4 November High Season | 15 June – 15 September – daily 10am-7pm 15 June to 30 June/1 Sept to 15 Sept: closed 1-2pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays Low Season | All week 10am-6pm: closed 1-2PM daily

PRICES | View online PRESS | View online ABOUT THE ARTISTS

J DEMSKY

Is a Spanish artist whose work challenges conventional notions of space and depth of field, the result being the creation of dynamic new architectural forms which distort dimensions by their use color and technique. Emerging as a street artist in the early 1990s, Demsky has since acclimated seamlessly to the white box space. His work continues to be graphically striking, now incorporating a varied arsenal of material, matter and method to achieve his singular vision—the construction, deconstruction and reconstruction graffiti tropes into architectural and spatial masterpieces.

The curatorial mission of Chateau Belcastel is to focus on contemporary art that celebrates the intersection of art and functionality of architecture. In the same spirit that the late great architect Fernand Pouillon imbued his work with creative ideas that pushed through established boundaries, Demsky’s work meticulously challenges accepted views of stasis and motion in technicolor hues.

PIERRE MATTER “I draw my inspiration from the way nature is being changed by science, from the hybridization of humans and animals and machines,” says Pierre Matter. Born in Munster, France, Mr. Matter was a mystical child then a tormented teenager, studying mathematics. Via a series of twists and turns, he ended up turning to the “mystical world of art,” working with a host of media (oil on canvas, gouache, ink – including comic strips – and bas-relief on stone), before becoming a sculptor. Today, the Artist works mostly with bronze and recycled objects, using welders, plasma cutters, laser cutters and grinders to shape and sculpt. “I’m a kind of salvager. I feel like a child in a heap of sand, but instead of sand, there’s a lot of recycling and scrap, full of magnificent objects. Often, the sculpture which emerge from these scraps of metal speak to us of who we are and how our future might be.” His main influences are Bilal, Giger, Jodorowsky and Dali.

Mr. Matter has created monumental installations and his work is in important collections around the world. His work is highly collectable and has been shown in Paris, London, New-York, Miami, Hong-Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and Dubaï to name a few.

Liens: Biographie de Fernand Pouillon | Mairie de Belcastel | Château de Belcastel | Plus Beaux Villages de France de l’Aveyron |FPB