An important milestone has been reached for the Maison Blanche project in Brest. Artists Simona Denicolai and Ivo Provoost met with the commissioners to discuss the project’s first directions, on the occasion of the signing of the study contract.

Supported by the mediators, the artists have organised a series of meetings with several scientific stakeholders in the Brest area, notably at Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) and at IUEM (European Institute for Marine Studies – University of Western Brittany). These exchanges offered an opportunity to explore the relationships between contemporary creation, observation of the marine environment and coastal memory, through a close dialogue between art and research.

The signing of the study contract confirms the collective commitment of the commissioners, artists and mediators to this singular project, rooted in its territory and in its human and maritime ecosystem. The presentation of the initial proposal is scheduled for the coming months and will extend this shared working dynamic, at the heart of the New Patrons spirit: connecting creation, knowledge and society.

The commissioning group :

• Anne Le Meur, manager of the Maison Blanche bar–tobacconist–restaurant
• Clélia Le Meur, manager of the Maison Blanche bar–tobacconist–restaurant
• Philippe Le Lann, representative of the Friends of Sainte-Anne-du-Portzic association
• Nelly Ménez, representative of the Mémoire de Saint-Pierre association
• Ariane Mercier, student at EESAB – Brest campus
• Roxane Samson, visual arts student at UBO Brest
• Fabienne Wipf, local resident and film producer

Mediation :

• Accredited mediator: Patrice Goasduff
• Relay mediator: Benoît-Marie Moriceau