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Everything was in place for a memorable Valpic event, which drew a packed audience at the Caves du Prieuré in Lens. This exhibition had been long awaited, the time for the artist to create under different themes, expressions of a multifaceted sensibility.
The opening of the vernissage was marked by speeches that captured the attention of the large audience.
As the Caves du Prieuré is part of the parish of Lens, Father Pablo Pico, parish priest of Lens, had the honor of opening the inaugural ceremony. While briefly explaining the history of the vaulted room, formerly the cellar of the canons of the Hospice du Grand Saint Bernard, Father Pico reminded us that, in addition to the essential temporal nourishment provided by this place, the spiritual and cultural nourishment embodied here in pictorial art is inseparable from any elevation of the person.
The President of the Commune de Lens, David Bagnoud, followed with a reminder of the genesis of the works of an artist he has known and followed for many years. Pointing to the break between creative intimacy and exposure to the gaze of “the other”, the speech underlined the expectation finally released for an exhibition that has become indispensable.
Sponsor of the vernissage, Valpic spoke through its President Jean Metz, who after reminding us of the special attention paid by the association and its owner-members to selected cultural events, shared his impressions of the works on display, arranged by movement:
In the 3D movement, the artist reminds us that music is above all a memory. In “Pensées”, the artist explores the constants and liberties of emotion. Further on, in “Chinese Horoscopes”, the conscious at first glance and the suggested unconscious are juxtaposed, from one culture to another placed at extremes. In the “Opera” series, the artist invokes the lyric art to emphasize that it combines montage and creation. All in all, these works give an impression of journeys: a journey through timeless time, as opposed to the passing of time; but also a journey through the space of the spectacle of cultures or emotions.
Artist Denis Collé’s final words of thanks went to all those who had worked to bring this creative project to the public, closing the speeches announcing the official opening of the exhibition.
Numerous personalities were present, including the President and Councillors of the Fondation des Rencontres de Crans-Montana, the President of the Association des Propriétaires de l’Aminona, the President Emeritus of Icogne, former local councillors, Valais business leaders, well-known sculptors and many others, who came to celebrate the vernissage, so as not to miss any of the works and their relationship with their creator.
The exhibition opens on May 8 and closes on May 11 (see poster).