EXHIBITION - Château de Belcastel

PRESS CONFERENCE 1 April 2021 - 10h/13h HEIDI@CHATEAUBELCASTEL.COM

AVEYRON, FRANCE – Built a thousand years ago on a gigantic rock, this magnificent
fortress rises above one of the most beautiful villages in the Aveyron region of France. A self-
guided tour, rich with historical information, leads visitors over the moat and throughout the
castle and its grounds. Only recently was this private chateau, with its lush courtyards, medieval
chapels, prison and superb views, opened to the public. Fernand Pouillon, (1912-1986),
architect, visionary and award-winning author and Officer of the Legion of Honor, devoted
himself completely to the restoration of Château Belcastel for more than eight years after he
discovered it in ruins in 1973. Although the Château remains a private residence, its owners
welcome the public to tour the fortress, which is both a historical landmark and a sprawling art
gallery.

EXHIBITION
2021 :

                      BOM.K | ALEXIS DIAZ | ETAM CRU- BEZT
            HERAKUT | I TI | CASE MACLAIM | MARCO MAZZONI

A group exhibition with seven internationally established contemporary painters will interpret the
rich history of this medieval warrior fortress through its legends and lore. During the spring and
early summer, the artists-in-residence will reside in the chateau and work on site, where visitors
can observe the creation of murals that will occupy more than three thousand square meters of
exterior spaces of the historic monument. Each artist will contribute original paintings to an ex-
hibition in the principal gallery, and create a limited-edition print at the atelier of IDEM in Paris,
especially for this exhibition. The collection of new prints will be signed by the artists, and on
exhibit at the château for the season.

An educational component of this exhibition
aims to explore the history of street art not
only as a form of urban expressionism that
has impacted the fine art world, but as a
compelling form of storytelling with primitive
roots. Visitors will be able to see short films
featuring time-lapse videos of the murals
created at the chateau, and some of their
other works around the world. Curated by
Heidi Leigh and Christopher Courtney. Pro-
duced by myFINBEC and Château Belcastel.

BOM.K - French artist BOM.K will create a
mural in the prison gallery and be in attend-
ance for the press conference scheduled for
April 1, and opening day, April 2nd, 2-4PM.
Visitors will be able to see his paintings in the
principal gallery and view the mural through
November 15th.

Bom.K’s compulsion to communicate artisti-
cally what he sees, living just below the sur-
face of humanity’s urban places, is a wake-
up call to the world community. These beau-
tifully painted under-worldly creatures are
deprived of light, anguished, contorted and
malnourished, yet they speak a powerful
truth, without malice or cruelty. Their mutated existence suggests that only radical change can
heal what is wrong in this world, and these beings are part of the only solution- to aggressively
promote multicultural understanding. Consciously or not, Bom.K’s work attempts to transcend
his own culture, and speak directly to our common humanity.         Image courtesy of BOM.K More

ALEXIS DIAZ - Fascinating beasts of monstrous proportions crawl out of the primordial imag-
ination of Puerto Rican artist Alexis Diaz. His painting process is interesting- first he reveals a
portion of an anatomically correct animal that exists in perfect harmony with our natural world.
Then his brushes turn wild, and with graceful strokes and the precision of a master, a creature
emerges that is shocking in its incredulous impossibility- a blunder of mother-nature, and yet all
the more captivating because of its hyper-realistic detail. Finally, when the work fully emerges,
it is a visual spectacle.

“I've always dreamed of creating art for everyone to enjoy. Art that is accessible to everyone,
regardless of the social situation. The poorest as well as the richest. That's why I prefer to work
in the street".

Alexis will be an artist in residence during May, dates TBA               Image courtesy of Alexis Diaz

ETAM CRU- BEZT- A Polish artist duo, BEZT and Sainer, have created large-scale murals in
Europe and around the world. Their paintings, larger than life, magically capture elements of
humanities emotional complexity. Portraits designed by Etam Cru often convey a moody, mel-
ancholy and provocative character who is out of time, undisturbed, immersed within an intimate
moment where solitude is invaded secretly, inevitably, by the viewer who has become a voyeur.
BEZT will be an artist in residence in the spring, when visitors can see him painting a canvas
that will be installed 28 meters high, on the keep of the castle. More

HERAKUT is a German duo, Hera and Akut. Hera will bring an entourage of dancers to am-
plify her creative process. Choreographer, costume designer and painter, this artist will be on
sight for more than a week designing and painting one of the monumental mural spaces. Her
work was embraced by the fine art world in 2013, with an extraordinary exhibition at MUCA,
(Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art) in Munich, where her work was characterized by its
sensuous, narrative style, exploring new realms of the imagination. Her art is an experience that
speaks of collective constraints and struggle, power, triumph and love. Here is a YOUTUBE
video of the performers who will be here. Performance times TBA. More

IИT I - Inti Castro, or INTI, is one of the most important street art painters in Latin America to-
day. His dedication to muralism escalated in the early 1990’s at the end of Chili's era of dicta-
torship, when the graffiti culture exploded. After formal artistic studies his large-scale works be-

came sensationally popular because his masterpieces in the streets created such provocative
dialogues with the public without any burdens of censorship.

Years later, after much research and exploration throughout the continent, INTI discovered the
post-modern melting pot where European, Indigenous and African influences gave rise to a col-
laboration of a rich multi-cultural history. Inspired by this knowledge, his newfound artistic free-
dom and a lack of boundaries, he created the unique aesthetic that he is renowned for today.
With an avant-garde flair, he paints beautiful costumes that combine contemporary and tradi-
tional fabrics. To the Artist, this work represents a borderless continent stitched together with
scars of the nation’s turbulent history.

INTI moved to Europe and began exhibiting in galleries and taking high profile commissions
worldwide. His global perspective speaks of the conflicts between contemporary belief systems
and a utopian society. He advocates a spiritual philosophy that brings together all peoples in a
celebration of their unique identities in a world full of colorful and complex customs and beliefs.
More

CASE MACLAIM founded the internationally renowned street art collective known as Maclaim
Crew. They designed and created some of the best photorealistic graffiti the world had ever
seen in the early 80’s. Today, Case Maclaim is regarded as one of the most innovative German
street artists and one of the finest photorealistic aerosol authors in the world. Case will be an
artist in residence in the spring, when visitors can watch him create a mural. More

MARCO MAZZONI - Italian Artist Marco Mazzoni uses only colored pencils to create beauti-
ful, elaborate drawings, in which the central subject of his portraits often appear to be surround-
ed by a plethora of organic flora or fauna. Through this symbiotic harmony an all-consuming re-
lationship between the two emerges, and is realized in great detail.

The exquisite face of a bird or a woman may be set within a wreath of butterfly wings, perfect
flowers, or other vegetation, representing an organic symbiosis between the players of our natu-
ral world and their not altogether unconscious desire to neutralize each other.

Marco Mazzoni discovered his passion for drawing at the age of 14, and has since exhibited his
works in galleries throughout Europe and the United States. His deepest artistic inspiration
comes from Masters Rembrandt, Goya and Ribera. He spent many hours devoured by an ob-
session to understand their mastery through practice and sedulous dedication. More

“Artist Marco Mazzoni is based in Milan, Italy where he works from his studio creating amazingly
detailed color pencil drawings that have captured the attention of collectors from all over the
world.” – excerpt from Hi-Fructose interview

More information about the Artists : https://www.chateaubelcastel.com/events

2021 EVENTS:

April, May & June, Dates TBA : Artist performances & Vernassages.

3, 4 & 5 April- Easter egg hunt weekend : Children hunt for different eggs, hidden throughout
the castle and its property, and trade them all in for a big chocolate bunny. Special area just for
little ones. Reduced tariff for adults who bring kids.

September, Dates TBA : Jazz Concert

29, 30 & 31 October - Halloween weekend : A medieval storyteller tells all about the murders
and mayhem during the dark ages in the château of Belcastel. A haunted-house experience
with ghouls and ghosts for adults and children 12+. Reservation required. Two tours each night-
18:00h & 20:00h. €12 admission includes zombie juice.

17 October - 15 November- Chestnut Sundays : Roasted medieval style over a fire, with hot
wine or apple cider, weather permitting. Free with admission.
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                                           LOCATION:
The village of Belcastel is located in Aveyron, only 20 km from the Rodez airport – Map

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                                    TOURS & AMENITIES:

A self-guided tour with a brochure guides visitors through 34 points of interest.
Tour average time is 60 minutes. Guided tours are available with reservation.
Gift shop has cold drinks, organic local products and exclusive souvenirs.
Visitor picnic area is available with admission
Municipal parking lot 50 meters
Dogs on a leash are welcome
Available : one tower suite, private events and commercial film shoots

2019 VISITOR INFORMATION :

OPEN 2 April-mid November & holidays
High season & holidays non-stop 10:00h-19:00h
Low season 10:00h-18:00h, closed 13:00h-14:00h

For reservations and more information log onto ChateauBelcastel.com or Call : +33
(0)5.65.64.42.16 after 1 April, or email : info@chateaubelcastel.com