Since its inception, the Diamantaire has used the rough elements and pieces of street glass that it recovers and transforms. Each piece is unique, entirely handmade, testifying to a resolutely artistic and contemporary know-how.

These sculptures can be seen from all sides, as one would admire a jewel. The different facets play with perspectives, lighting and their environments, offering a multitude of reflections and points of view. This exhibition designed in the form of an installation deals with the abstract dimension of the precious stone and testifies to a conceptual work in perpetual evolution.

Le Diamantaire, born in Caen in 1987

He discovers Obey's works in 2001 which pushes him to invest the street as a field of expression. He launches into graffiti and quickly saturates all the walls of his hometown. So much so that the proliferation of these artistic interventions earned him a graffiti ban. At the same time, he studied metalwork and boilermaking which trained him in shaping and various techniques gradually nourishing his creativity and his know-how.

In 2008, he continued his quest and moved to Paris to train in visual communication. Like artists like Invader, Zevs or Gilbert with marked identities, the artist opts for a strong symbol, that of the diamond. His diamonds and sculptures are made from pieces of glass recovered from the street. His creations sparkle, catch our eye and play with their environment. From 2012, the Diamantaire developed his urban work towards galleries and participated in several group exhibitions from Paris to Zürich.

In 2013, he created his first solo exhibition entitled “Atelier” at the Derouillon gallery in Paris (3rd). 2014 marks a decisive turning point. His work is sponsored by a patron who provides him with a 900 m2 workshop. Thanks to numerous machines and tools, this space gives him the means to fully express his creativity. He then produced large-scale pieces like "4000", a monumental steel work measuring four meters by four.

The artist plays with the materials and their setting in space preserving the street art spirit of his beginnings, since the materials used are raw elements that he recovers and transforms. The dynamism of the street invests the interior of the walls where the works are exhibited. Discover the universe of Diamonds by clicking on the icons below.

The Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute: a sponsorship initiative

Acquired by Bernard Magrez about fifteen years ago, Château Labottière was restored in spring 2011 to accommodate the Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute, its artists in residence and its modern and contemporary art exhibitions.

Established in the form of an endowment fund, the Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute is a private initiative of artistic patronage. The Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute wants to be a bridge between tradition and innovation, as well as a platform for exchanges where everyone can live a unique cultural experience. The Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute thus creates a new original space for cultural dissemination, meeting, exchange and creation, and participates in a desire to make current art more accessible in order to better understand it and feel it better in a a setting full of pleasure and meditation. Discover the Institute by clicking on the icons below.

The Institute's missions

• Access to contemporary creation for all audiences, through the creation or support of cultural events.
• The meeting and exchange with the artists, with the establishment of a program of orders and acquisitions.
• Support for the production of unpublished works, by setting up residencies with workshops for young artists, but also by awarding artistic prizes.

This initiative is driven by the will and the desire of a man to share his love for art and artists. After having built an entrepreneurial career based on excellence, innovation and creativity, Bernard Magrez now wishes to "give back to life" the chance it gave him. His choice fell on contemporary artists and the art world in general, not only out of personal taste but also by his awareness of the difficulty of being recognized in his discipline. It is also a question of contributing in a singular and civic way to the territory, whether regional, national and international, within which the Cultural Institute supports creation and artists.

Pratical information

the Diamantaire
Second Life Exhibition

From January 24 to February 25, 2018
Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute
Chateau Labottière
16 rue de Tivoli, 33 Bordeaux

Tel: + 33.5.56.81.72.77
contact@institut-bernard-magrez.com
www.institut-bernard-magrez.com

Gallery open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 13 p.m. to 18 p.m. Private visit by appointment.