Création Franche ?

Les statues de Louis Chabaud

This term was created in 1989 during the first exhibition held in the art gallery; this being a reference to Primitive Art, the main theme of the exhibition. Création Franche included all forms of parallel and cultural art, from popular art to surrealism, from "art naif" to the latest developments in contemporary art. Taken overall, this form of art has a tendency to follow either one of two directions which, nonetheless, intersect at many points, even if there are many passages which are mutually exclusive. Création Franche does not give too much credence to theory: As all of its categories tend to overlap, it is aimed more at the emotions than the intellect.

It is a meeting place of all instinctive artists, those who, perhaps through unconscious pride, ignore the traditional artistic education, which most of them have not followed, and which in many cases leads to sterile, lifeless forms of creation, and it brings to light a hidden universe of which we are all the unwitting inhabitants. Lacking pretension, these artists of a shadowy world are often eccentric and difficult to fit into our standard view of social relationships. It is certain, however, that the main thing they have in common is the rebellious spirit of their creative power and the desire to oppose all pre-established visions of how the world should be seen.

Création Franche has an intimate link, not only in France but also in Europe and the rest of the world with all those other places in which similar artistic concerns are being explored. These include : 

  • the collection de l'Art Brut in Lausanne
  • the Collection of Australian Outsider Art in Sydney
  • the Outsiders Collection Archives in London
  • the Centre of research and communication of Marginal Art in Brussels
  • the Primitive art gallery of Aracine
  • the Fabuloserie of Dicy
  • the Cérès Franco collection of Lagrasse
  • the Bonnigheim gallery in Germany
  • the gallery of Contemporary Art (Outsider Art departement) in Zagreb
  • the Centre for Expressive Activities La Tinaia in Florence.

Musée de la Création Franche
58, avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny – 33130 Bègles