Alexandre Leger is exhibiting at the Atger Museum

September 15–October 13, 2017
Opening Thursday September 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Atger Museum – School of Medicine

A contemporary artist in Montpellier’s oldest museum: a dialogue between a modern artist and prestigious historical figures, fueled by echoes of the same creative upheaval—that of artistic creation.
In 2014, Alexandre Leger discovered the Atger Museum and fell in love with the place « and its rich collection of French, Italian, and Flemish drawings from the^16th,^17th, and^18th centuries. A collection that highlights the concept of study in the noblest sense of the term “he said.”
Alexandre Leger finds himself back in a familiar environment. “ Old drawings serves, in my approach, as a guiding principle that is always with me ". Observation, morphology, landscape, references to certain artists or works: these are all tools he uses in the process of poetic transformation he enjoys undertaking.
Held within the museum itself, this unique exhibition fosters a dialogue between the creative works of yesterday and today. Alexandre Leger infuses this prestigious venue with his imagination, presenting sketchbooks and objects that reveal his creative process, along with intimate drawings that serve as free echoes of the historical drawings on display here, linking his work to this exceptional collection, which visitors can, in turn, rediscover through a thoroughly contemporary lens.

Museum treasure

Located at the heart of the Montpellier Faculty of Medicine, nestled within the former state rooms of the bishop’s palace, the Atger Museum houses a treasure: one of the most significant collections of drawings in France, featuring works by the great masters of the French, Italian, and Flemish schools, from the Renaissance to^{the 19th} century. It offers an intimate journey into the world of the masters of drawing and printmaking, exploring genres, techniques, and themes—from portraiture to landscape, from anatomical studies to historical scenes, from allegory to animal drawings.
Founded in 1813 by the Montpellier collector Jean François Xavier Atger (1768–1833), the museum thus offers a precious and intimate insight into the work of artists to whom we owe some of the greatest masterpieces in the history of art. It has been classified as a Historic Monument since 1913.
“Showing how historical collections can inspire fruitful echoes in today’s creators is a stated goal of the Musée Atger, which exhibits contemporary artists (Paul Dardé, Richarme, Clara Castagné, and Jaume Ojea) within its walls,” explains Hélène Lorblanchet, head of the written and graphic heritage department at the Montpellier Interuniversity Library.
September 15–October 13
Opening reception Thursday, September 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Musée Atger, Faculty of Medicine, 2 rue Ecole de médecine, Montpellier