This summer, Domaine de Rocheville invites you on an artistic and gustatory journey between sky and earth with the Suspended Moments exhibition.
A summer in Saumur with the Suspended Moments exhibition
An annual artistic rendezvous
Each year, Domaine de Rocheville in the Loire Valley invites Saumur artists to adorn its walls from late June to early September.
Perhaps you had the chance to admire the works of painter David Ash in 2023 (This Is Not a Photograph), illustrator Marilyn MacGregor in 2022 (Saumur Unedr the Pencil of an American Woman), or the 2021 photo exhibition of Biodiversity ?
Summer 2024 is marked by a quadruple exhibition titled Suspended Moments. It showcases the works of four local artists: Michèle Lepeintre, Luc Lortie, Philippe Siriot, and François Chauvin.
Between photography and sculpture, each offers a unique and poetic perspective on nature, capturing ephemeral moments with their own sensitivity.
An exhibition honoring nature
At an eco-friendly vineyard producing certified organic wines, nature is central to the daily life and work of the winemaker. The Suspended Moments exhibition pays homage to nature by blending artistic photography and sculpture in a unique setting amidst the Saumur Champigny vineyards.
Each of the four Saumur artists unveils their view of natural elements: air, birds, light, earth, trees, water, and the Loire islands. The interplay of light and graphics highlights the movements of living beings and the surprising colors of the Loire Valley’s nature through the seasons.
Aerial sculptures and artistic photography: crossed perspectives
The exhibition brings together four artists who look at the world with dreamy, aware, receptive, or meditative eyes.
Michèle Lepeintre, photographer
Who is Michèle Lepeintre ?
Passionate about photography since the age of 20, Michèle Lepeintre has trained in Nature Reporting and artistic mediations through Gestalt therapy, developing a personal and creative artistic practice.
A resident of Puy Notre Dame, she previously exhibited at Domaine de Rocheville in 2021 with the Close-Up on Biodiversity exhibition, showcasing lifelike macro photos of insects and flowers.
Alegria or the Dance of Trees
With 12 photographs of trees from her “Alegria” series, her vision is less figurative, more poetic. Each photo outing in nature is a confrontation with the unknown, requiring her to enter into symbiosis with the elements to capture emotions and inspirations.
The work on light, graphics, and colors reveals the strength of movements and highlights the harmony and resilience of trees. The “Alegria” photo series embodies this invisible joy, the sensation of living fully, being creative through the encounter with trees and contemplation of nature, infused with their energies.
Luc Lortie, photographer
Who is Luc Lortie ?
Originally from northern Eure-et-Loir, Luc Lortie developed a passion for wildlife from a young age. Specializing in wildlife photography, particularly birds in flight, Luc captures images evoking the freedom, fragility, and beauty of winged creatures.
His approach is clearly committed: as indicated in the introduction to his photo series “Attention, Fragile,” he alerts us to the risk of extinction facing birds and the urgency to protect them.
Birds in Flight: Attention, Fragile!
His series of 13 photographs, exhibited for the first time at Domaine de Rocheville, focuses on the movement of birds, with relatively long exposure times. Originally a simple aesthetic search, the blur generated by the wingbeat has become for Luc Lortie a means to represent the uncertainty weighing on the future of many living species.
His works feature both color and black and white: black and white often depicts birds in difficult situations to alert viewers, while color invites admiration to encourage protection. His photos are titled “Through the Looking Glass,” “Grace,” “The Fall,” “X-wing,” “Fragility,” “Psychedelic Macaw”…
Luc Lortie likes to quote Gilbert Keith Chesterton: “The world will never perish for lack of wonders, but only for lack of wonder.”
Philippe Siriot, photographer
Who is Philippe Siriot ?
Philippe Siriot is a Saumur artist who reveals the beauty of landscapes and local nature through his lens. An active member of the Bird Protection League, he regularly engages in environmental discovery projects with local school children. Having already exhibited his stunning photos of birds of prey at Rocheville in 2021 during the “Close-Up on Biodiversity” exhibition, Philippe Siriot returns to Parnay with a new landscape series.
Loire Island Landscapes: a rich and unknown world
His series “Loire Island Landscapes” explores the islands of the wild river, particularly Ardouin Island at the confluence of the Thouet and Loire rivers. Maine-et-Loire boasts about forty Loire islands of varying sizes. Inhabited or not, cultivated or fallow, public or private, they all contribute to the unique landscape of the Loire Valley. Ardouin Island, located in the Saumur region, is one of them.
It has not been inhabited or cultivated since the 1950s but continues to host sheep and cattle. The island is dotted with trees (elms, walnuts, willows, apple trees, plum trees, ashes) that tell the story of the river’s floods and the lifestyle of former islanders, occupying a central place in Philippe Siriot’s photos. As days and seasons pass, landscapes and colors are in constant mutation.
In his quest for dawn colors, the photographer captures these moments when the sky is tinted blue, pink, and red. His shots are simply identified by an hour and a month: “6:44 – April,” “5:04 PM – December,” “7:37 AM – June”…
François Chauvin, sculptor
Who is François Chauvin ?
François Chauvin is a plastic artist from Touraine, currently based in Louresse Rochemenier, in Maine-et-Loire. A self-taught artist, he works mainly with natural materials found in his immediate environment, such as wicker, tuffeau, and slate.
Passionate about the strength and fragility of life, he draws inspiration from these contrasts to create works that reflect either the heavy and ancestral (tuffeau and slate sculptures) or, on the contrary, lightness and mobility (wicker sculptures and image projections). He enjoys sculpting, sanding, cutting, and watching materials evolve until they take on a form that moves him. His art, though serious, does not exclude humor or simplicity. Lightness, in all its forms, plays a central role in his work, prompting him to favor easy-to-handle materials and aesthetic shapes. This quest for lightness is what allows Domaine de Rocheville to host a sculptor within its walls for the first time.
Aerial wicker sculptures: an ode to lightness
For the Suspended Moments exhibition in Parnay, François Chauvin designed wicker and steel sculptures that, suspended or applied to stone walls, were specially created to integrate into the exhibition space. Some were even created on-site, in the troglodytic caves, where he also exhibits a few photographs presented on aluminum Dibond prints. The artist plays with the colors of wicker (peeled or raw, autoclaved to resist cave humidity) and its flexibility to create arabesques and interlacing, sculpting both material and air to create shadow and light effects. François Chauvin’s art leaves room for imagination. If his works are named “In Welcome,” “In Curve Play,” “In Flight,” “In Compass,” “In Effervescence,” it’s up to you to interpret what your mind sees!
Domaine de Rocheville: an exceptional setting for your exhibitions
Domaine de Rocheville, where the Suspended Moments exhibition is held, is a 17-hectare eco-friendly vineyard located in the Saumur-Champigny appellation.
Recently celebrating its 20th anniversary, the estate is renowned for its quality wines produced in an environmentally friendly manner from Chenin and Cabernet Franc grapes. Visitors can enjoy a variety of Saumur wines, all produced on the estate, in an exceptional setting, taking advantage of the terrace with a view of the surrounding vineyards and the Parnay Valley.
Domaine de Rocheville stands out for its commitment to sustainability, using viticultural practices that respect nature to preserve local biodiversity. The Loire wines produced here, ranging from light red wines to age-worthy reds in AOC Saumur Champigny, and fresh white wines to elegant whites in AOC Saumur Blanc, reflect the unique clay-limestone terroir of the region.
Several times a year, its beautiful tasting room transforms into an art gallery to host works by artists from the Loire Valley, both French and foreign (abstract or figurative painters, photographers, illustrators…).
Suspended Moments exhibition: a must-see in Parnay
This summer, Saumur becomes an unmissable destination for art and nature lovers. Don’t miss the Suspended Moments exhibition at Domaine de Rocheville (Parnay, 8 km from Saumur).
Come discover the exceptional work of local artists Michèle Lepeintre, Luc Lortie, Philippe Siriot, and François Chauvin while enjoying the hospitality and wines of Domaine de Rocheville.
Practical information on the Suspended Moments exhibition
Exhibition dates and hours
- Dates: July 1 to September 7, 2024
- Hours: Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM and Sunday from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Exhibition location
- Domaine de Rocheville, Chemin de Béniquet, Les Hauts de Valbrun, 49730 Parnay, France (between Saumur and Montsoreau, near the Saumur Wine Route)
Free entry
Artwork sales
All exhibited artworks are available for purchase (full catalog on-site)
On-site services
- Wine Tasting: Domaine de Rocheville, an eco-friendly vineyard in AOP Saumur Champigny, offers to discover its Loire wines on the panoramic terrace or in its glassed-in room.
- Shop: Selling wines from the estate
- Tours: You can visit the winery, vineyard, or estate caves by reservation
Contact
Click here to contact the estate
The Suspended Moments exhibition at Domaine de Rocheville is a unique opportunity to discover contemporary artists while enjoying the exceptional setting of this vineyard.
Feel free to visit us and support local artists by purchasing their works.
For any additional information, do not hesitate to contact us using the provided contact details.