Private Collection Goes Big and Bold in Sculpture Park Near St Tropez

If you are passing through Var in the South of France this summer then make a stop at the new contemporary sculpture park, Domaine Du Muy, aimed at collectors and lovers of sculpture which opens July 13.

Run by Paris-based Galerie Mitterrand, the sculpture park includes works by Carsten Höller, Yayoi Kusama, Anthony Gormely, and Sol LeWitt, with some works hailing from the private collection of Pierre Lorinet, the chief financial officer of Trafigura, one of the world’s largest commodities trading houses.

“Some works come from Galerie Mitterrand inventory, others lent from galleries, some have been commissioned either through the representative gallery in France (if they have one) or directly through the artist, others lent by collectors,” said Edward Mitterand of the venture.

According to the Finacial Times, Lorinet is to leave his post at Trafigura in September to pursue “other interests,” one of which will be art, clearly this includes  the works contributed to the Domaine Du Muy sculpture park. What could be next?

Located one hour from St Tropez, the park has around 25 acres of land which will act as an open air gallery to some 30 sculptures, a mixture of existing works and new commissions, such as Tomás Saraceno’s Cloud Cities, a 5 meter-long sculpture of interconnected polyhedrons.

The opening installation is curated by Swiss curator Simon Lamuniere, on the theme of art and nature.

“Sculptors today gravitate toward gigantism,” said Mr. Mitterrand of the project when speaking to the New York Times last year. “Galleries must adapt, if they want to preserve their relationship with the artists.”

Sol LeWitt 1-2-3 Tower (1993)
Photo: J.C. Lett courtesy Domaine du Muy

Claude Lalanne Pomme de New York (2006)
Photo: courtesy Galerie Mitterrand

Peter Kogler Untitled (red) (2008)
Photo: J.C. Lett courtesy Domaine du Muy

Mark Handforth Deep Violet (2014)
Photo: J.C. Lett courtesy Domaine du Muy

Gianni Motti Success Failure (Blue) (2014)
Photo: J.C. Lett courtesy Domaine du Muy