Rennes Maurepas Museum of Fine Arts

Philosopher Joëlle Zask, speaking about the opening of the Maurepas Museum of Fine Arts, shared her hope that public spaces would finally become public places: places of democracy. The reason we are so excited about the opening of a second location for the Rennes Museum of Fine Arts in the Maurepas neighborhood is that it embodies a double transformation. The first is the transformation of a 200-meter-long building, known as “the banana,” which was slated for demolition but has been preserved as part of the neighborhood's renovation, thanks in particular to the determination of its owner, Archipel Habitat, and the elected officials of Rennes. Its apartments will be renovated while occupied by the architects h2o. But since February, the ground floor and basement of the banana have become the second branch of the Rennes Museum of Fine Arts, thanks to a subtle intervention by Titan architects. The second transformation is that of the museum itself, as every other exhibition is co-created with the residents of Maurepas, and all are free of charge. Working with the public, moving away from a top-down approach, and engaging with residents at their level: this initiative, which is unprecedented in France, reveals Rennes' ability to implement a fruitful crossover between urban and cultural policies to sketch out a new culture of living.

Press kit upon request