Box of Beetles. Collection of insects hunted and preserved by André Breton in the forest of Grésigne, in the Tarn. Photo by Nelly Blaya, © MCHM.
Radicale 1924 is a newly formed Art Residency Project based in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, founded by Belgian choreographer Chantal Yzermans. Chantal Yzermans settled in the small village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in 2020. She turned Maison Routier, the house which has been in the family of her life partner for several generations, into a residency space for other artists under the name Radicale1924.
From September 2021 to September 2024, Maison Routier warmly welcomes artists and researchers to its living and working space for flexible durations, spanning from one week to one month, regardless of the season. Radicale 1924 organized ‘Parade, the public event’: A stroll through the Medieval town of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie.
Situated in the Lot Valley, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a unique enclave of medieval heritage in rural France that became a frequent destination for artists and collectors in the 1950’s. Among them, Elisa and André Breton enjoyed the summers here, hosting friends such as Toyen, Benjamin Péret, Max Ernst, Dorothea Tanning, Méret Oppenheim or Man Ray. Following the Bretons fascination with the village, Radicale 1924 continues their passion for the location and for hosting artists and friends.
The aim of Radicale 1924 is to contribute to the cultural life of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, situating the village as a center for contemporary art.
By inviting artists, architects, performers, filmmakers, writers, academics, curators and researchers in different fields to live and work in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, the residency aims at formulating new horizons for a world that is changing. While the residency is not looking to give new meaning to Surrealism, it is thought as an experiment to visit this past to run away with and from it, situating us in the need to think on collaborative practices and the artistic doing, on the merging of objects and bodies, and on the possible movements of and for togetherness.
In the First Surrealist Manifesto Breton defined Surrealism as “pure psychic automatism, by which it is intended to express, verbally, in writing, or by other means, the real process of thought. Thought's dictation, in the absence of all control exercised by the reason and outside all aesthetic or moral concerns. ”Today, the Radical potentiality of creativity as a way to channel a future beyond the old normality becomes an urgent task.
Radicale 1924 works with artists and researchers from different disciplines in the production of new projects, by cultivating collaborative practices & creative methods. As Surrealism approaches its 100th Anniversary, we see an opportunity to consider how we work with the cultural past to address our troubled present. Radicale 1924 brings together research and creation to revise and expand Surrealism’s subversive force today.
➞ Foundation of the Art Residency Program.
➞ Starting in September, PARADE will be the first thematic year cycle.
➞ Establishing the Partners Circle.
➞ Presentation and publication of PARADE projects and related research materials.
➞ Second Residency cycle and Public Event in September.
➞ Third Residency cycle and Public Event in September.
➞ Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the First Manifesto of Surrealism written by André Breton.
In partnering with Radicale 1924, you will contribute to a non-for-profit organization dedicated to cultivating contemporary art and supporting artists and their work as they engage with the history of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
The Partners will be engaged at all times, and together with the Board of Advisors and the Board of Directors they will connect with a network of cultural and economic agents regionally and across Europe .
Radicale 1924 receives support from the town council, La Mairie de Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and private fundings.
Image by Docteur Adrien Routier of Saint Cirq Lapopie in 1933
Situated at the core of this venture is Maison Routier, owned by Sylvia Zade Routier's family, particularly her grandfather, Dr. Daniel- Adrien Routier, a prominent early 20th-century physician, former president of the French Society of Cardiology, and an ardent art enthusiast. Residing in Saint-Cirq since 2020, Chantal Yzermans and Sylvia Zade Routier have transformed Maison Routier into the residency's focal point. The house features a unique workshop, once used by Sylvia's grandfather, which artists find exceptionally valuable. A village, like Saint- Cirq- Lapopie, experienced by its visitors as a nostalgic sanctuary, provides fertile ground for artistic reflection
During 4 years Radicale 1924 established a network of cultural agents, public and private entities collaborating to situate Saint-Cirq-Lapopie as a pole of artistic and economic attraction. Radicale 1924 invites artists and cultural practitioners to live and work in the village, in direct contact with the neighbors and their extended community. By supporting artistic creativity, the residency situates art as a public good.
In partnering with Radicale 1924, you will contribute to a non-for-profit organization dedicated to cultivating contemporary art and supporting artists and their work as they contribute to the cultural landscape of the Lot Valley , the Occitan Region and the history of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Radicale 1924 receives support from the town council, La Mairie de Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and private fundings.
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