Artists residency of Lens

Pursuing his constant and long-term support for young artists, François Pinault wanted a Pinault Collection residence offering the best work and research conditions, to welcome them for a year.

A collection is an ensemble of works, as well as an ensemble of relationships with artists, a commitment to encourage their expression and to create conditions favourable to creation and emergence. Pursuing his constant and long-term support for young artists, François Pinault wanted a Pinault Collection residence offering the best work and research conditions, to welcome them for a year.

The collector joined hands with the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region and the town of Lens, to create this residence in the former mining town. Established in an abandoned rectory, redesigned by Lucie Niney and Thibault Marca from the NeM agency, it was inaugurated in December 2015.

A space to live and to work, and a monthly grant, the artists residency makes it possible to offer an environment and time for artistic practice in a place equipped for creation, for a period of one year, from September to June. The residents are chosen by a selection committee that includes representatives from the Pinault Collection, the Direction régionale des Affaires culturelles des Hauts-de France, the FRAC Grand Large, Fresnoy-Studio national des arts contemporains, the Louvre-Lens and the LaM.

Since its creation in 2016, the Lens artist residency has welcomed the American duo Melissa Dubbin and Aaron S. Davidson (2016), the Belgian, Edith Dekyndt (2017), the Brazilian, Lucas Arruda (2018), the Franco-Moroccan Hicham Berrada (2019), the French artist Bertille Bak (2019-2020), and this year (2020-2021) the Chilian artist Enrique Ramirez

Liste des résidents de Lens EN

Melik Ohanian

Since September 2021, Melik Ohanian is the eighteenth guest of Pinault Collection’s artist residency program in Lens.

Enrique Ramirez

From September 2020 to June 2021, the Pinault Collection welcomes Enrique Ramírez, the seventh artist as its artist-in-residence at Lens.

Bertille Bak

After Melissa Dubbin & Aaron S. Davidson, Edith Dekyndt, Lucas Arruda, Hicham Berrada, the Pinault Collection welcomed Bertille Bak in its artists’ residency in Lens, from September 2019 to July 2020.

Hicham Berrada

During the year he spent at the Pinault Collection’s artist residency in Lens, Hicham Berrada transformed its workshop into a poetic laboratory. A look back at this fourth season, at the crossroads of science and art.

Lucas Arruda

For its third season, the Pinault Collection’s artist residency in Lens welcomed Brazilian artist Lucas Arruda. Here he describes the work he created there, inspired his first experience of a real winter, far away from his homeland, in the distinctive light of northern France.

Edith Dekyndt

The Pinault Collection’s artist residency welcomed Edith Dekyndt for its second season. The artist paused to describe the projects she developed during her eight months in Lens, which have since been shown in major exhibitions in Europe.

Melissa Dubbin & Aaron S. Davidson

In 2016, Pinault Collection’s artists residency welcomed its first occupants, Melissa Dubbin and Aaron S. Davidson. They look back on their immersion in the area.

Partner institutions

Le Fresnoy – Studio national des arts contemporains
Louvre-Lens
Frac Grand Large – Hauts-de-France
LaM

Fidèle au soutien constant et de longue durée qu’il manifeste aux jeunes artistes, François Pinault a souhaité qu’une résidence Pinault Collection puisse les accueillir durant une année, en leur offrant les meilleures conditions de travail et de recherche.

Le collectionneur s’est associé à l'ancienne région Nord-Pas-de-Calais et à la ville de Lens pour créer cette résidence dans l’ancienne cité minière. Installée dans un presbytère désaffecté, réaménagé par Lucie Niney et Thibault Marca de l’agence NeM, elle a été inaugurée en décembre 2015.

Lieu de vie, lieu de travail, doté d’une bourse mensuelle, la résidence d'artistes permet, durant toute une année – de septembre à juin - d’offrir un cadre et un temps à la pratique artistique dans un lieu équipé pour la création. Le choix des résidents procède de la délibération d’un comité de sélection comptant des représentants de la Collection Pinault, de la Direction régionale des Affaires culturelles des Hauts-de France, du FRAC Grand Large, du Fresnoy-Studio national des arts contemporains, du Louvre-Lens et du LaM.

Depuis sa création en 2016, ont été accueillis le duo américain Melissa Dubbin et Aaron S. Davidson (2016), l’artiste belge Edith Dekyndt (2017), le brésilien Lucas Arruda (2018), le franco-marocain Hicham Berrada (2019) puis la française Bertille Bak (2019-2020), puis l'artiste chilien Enrique Ramirez (2020-2021).

Benoît Piéron

Benoît Piéron becomes the ninth artist to participate in the Pinault Collection’s residency programme in Lens.