Folk/Ousider art in France?

February 3, 2005 9:11 AM

I'm going to France and I'd love to see some outsider art/folk art/art brut. Suggestions? (more inside)

I’ll be staying with friends in Paris and I’m hoping to do some day trips to environments nearby. I found this helpful site, and I have a list of 40 environments culled from the book Self Made Worlds (mostly just names and towns, no idea if they are open to the public, so it didn’t get me too far.) Le Palais Idéal is the most famous but Lyons may be too far for this trip. La Maison Pique-Assiette in Chartes is a strong possibility. Anything in or around Paris that’s a must see? Any gallery shows or exhibitions I should check out? Bonus points for anything we don’t need a car to get to.

posted by hydrophonic to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

Check out Raymond Morales - though I believe he died last year so I'm not sure if his astonishing sculpture garden in the South of France is still open.

I also came across this interesting page while trying to find the Morales images.
posted by skylar at 9:51 AM on February 3, 2005

In France, Euro Disney is as outsider as it gets.

But make sure you don't take photos of anything copyrighted.
posted by orthogonality at 9:59 AM on February 3, 2005

Musée d'Art Naïf - Max Fourny Montmarte, Paris. Never visited but walked past it plenty and it looked pretty large and exciting.
posted by fire&wings at 11:27 AM on February 3, 2005

fire&wings - Thanks! That place isn't in my guidebooks. I also just found the Musée International d'Art Naïf in the Paris suburbs.
posted by hydrophonic at 12:51 PM on February 3, 2005

When I was in Paris I toured through this really weird commune/art studio/art gallery thing. I just looked at my picture of the place and was able to track down what I think is their website.

It was pretty cool in there, you should check it out (if it still exists)
posted by davey_darling at 3:10 PM on February 3, 2005

They're doing some renovation work at the moment so I am not certain of visiting; I am also not certain if this meets your description. But it is amazing and off the beaten path -- plus you can visit the forest while you are there: le cyclop de Jean Tinguely à Milly-la-Forêt (France).

Oh, and La Maison Pique-Assiette is cool.

Check for open studios when you are in Paris.
posted by Dick Paris at 7:25 PM on February 3, 2005