Conferences program

 Isabelle Wenzel, when the physical body becomes art

Meeting with artist and performer Isabelle Wenzel and Audrey Hoareau, director of CRP/.

Friday, March 13, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. 45 minutes

For the THEMA exhibition, the CRP/Hauts-de-France Regional Photography Center presents an immersion into the work of Isabelle Wenzel. For nearly twenty years, this German performance photographer (born in 1982) has been developing a photographic practice centered around her own body. In a public discussion, Audrey Hoareau, director of the art center and curator of her first exhibition in France, and the artist will look back on her career and discuss her approach, her vision of art, and her view of the world.

The breath of the future : emerging artists and revolutions in glass

Meeting with Laetitia Messager, director of MusVerre, in the presence of artist Desislava Stoilova. Hosted by Françoise Objois, journalist.

Friday, March 13, 2026, at 3:45 p.m. 45 minutes

Through its latest acquisitions, MusVerre in Sars-Poteries (59) explores the paths taken by emerging artists to redefine the potential of glass in a fruitful dialogue between art, science, and innovation. The photographic sculptures by Michal Macku (Glass object XLIX) and Juliette Leperlier (Néréide) open up new horizons by combining image, transparency, and bodily imprint. With Aurélie Abadie and Samuel Sauques, glass paste becomes the matrix of a sensitive memory in Mnémosyne, revealing the material depth of time. Desislava Stoilova's experimental research into glass foam pushes the physical limits of the medium, transforming the material into a porous and dynamic organism. These sculptures embody a plastic approach that combines formal research and sensitive expression (Cercle). Together, these approaches bear witness to a generation of artists for whom glass becomes a laboratory for exploring life, the body, and nature, opening up truly new horizons for contemporary creation.

Between pigments and pixels, the hybrid art of the 21st century

Meeting with Denis Santelli, artist.

Friday, March 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. 45 minutes

This presentation explores the profound transformation of art in the 21st century, at the intersection of the digital and the traditional, both in the production of works and in their curation and dissemination. It will show how a growing number of artists are integrating virtual reality, 3D modeling, robotics, and, more recently, artificial intelligence into their practices.

What kind of collector would you be ? Different perspectives on profiles, practices, and paths to collecting

Meeting with Pierre Chandès, co-founder of Doctor Pulse, renowned expert in strategy and cultural engineering, specialist in the visual arts sector and the art market, and Nicolas Kaenzig, expert in the art market and artistic heritage. Moderated by Emmanuel Provost, collector.

Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. 45 minutes

Why do people become collectors ? Out of passion, intuition, tradition, a taste for risk, or as a wealth management strategy ? And above all, how do you get started ? Through an open and accessible discussion, this event invites the public to discover the profiles of today's leading collectors. Drawing on the typology developed by Pierre Chandès, everyone is invited to gain a better understanding of themselves, identify their own motivations—emotional, cultural, or financial—and imagine the collector they could become. Nicolas Kaenzig will contribute his expert perspective on the market and artistic heritage: where to look, where to buy, how to navigate galleries, fairs, and auctions, how to structure a long-term collection, and how to reconcile pleasure, high standards, and security. A lively and educational round table discussion to give future collectors a leg up, demystify the art market, and give everyone the keys to embarking on the adventure of collecting.

The FRAC Grand Large collection is on the move !

Meeting with Keren Detton, director of FRAC Grand Large, Sara Klein, head of outreach and residencies, Clémentine Clénet, outreach project manager, Camille Fund, outreach manager, and Anais Pereira, art teacher and visual arts coordinator for DRAEAC. Moderated by Françoise Objois, journalist.

Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 3:45 p.m. 45 minutes

The director of FRAC Grand Large, Keren Detton, and her team will present three of the institution's flagship programs. Residents can draw on the works in the collection to create, engage in dialogue, and question our environment : “Élèves à l'œuvre” (Students at Work), “Module Design,” and “Labo Art/Media” will reveal all their secrets to you.

Recent and complex internationalization of contemporary art

Meeting with Amélie Sabatier, art historian (ICART - Dauphine - UPEC)

Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. 45 minutes

Throughout the 19th century and most of the 20th, we referred to events that in reality only brought together Western artists as International Exhibitions. In 1989, in his exhibition “Magiciens de la Terre” at the Centre Pompidou, curator Jean-Hubert Martin made this stark observation : “The commonly accepted idea that creation in the visual arts only exists in the Western world or in highly Westernized societies is a remnant of our culture's arrogance.” Indeed, it has been extremely slow and complicated for the Western world to accept and integrate visual art forms that were foreign to it, whereas practices such as music were readily recognized. After explaining the reasons for this long reluctance, we will see how new scenes are emerging today and discuss the challenges facing the Chinese and African scenes in particular.

New artists, new forms of artistic expression, new messages

Meeting with Blandine Raynaud, historian and art history storyteller, museum guide in France, art teacher, and art history instructor at the IFP Hauts-de-France.

Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. 45 minutes

Contemporary art is buzzing, bubbling, innovating ! Contemporary art is bursting with new ideas, expressing itself through new artistic languages, and tackling new subjects. Come and discover today's emerging artists at this family-friendly event, where their visual expressions enlighten, challenge, and inspire us to think about the world of tomorrow.

From individual work to collective action: new horizons for engagement through art

Meeting with Laura Ducoulombier, exhibition manager at Espace Lille Rihour, patronage and cultural partnerships at Société Générale / Corporate Foundation; Corinne Molina, President of the We Fab Art association (art & industry) and collector, Christophe Rollin, visual artist, and Tommy Knuts, artist. Moderated by Marie-Aude Tran, co-founder of Trifolium, an impact-driven art agency.

Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. 45 minutes

From patronage to integrated projects, this round table explores how art can engage and unite employees, partners, and audiences, opening up new narratives at the corporate, industry, and regional levels.