Flaran Abbey Cultural family outing in the heart of Gers

Flaran Abbey: Visit a great and exceptional site!

THE CISTERCIAN ABBEY OF FLARAN (12TH-18TH CENTURY), A CROSSROADS OF HISTORY AND CULTURES

Daughter of Escaladieu (Hautes-Pyrénées), founded in 1151 in the Baïse Valley, Flaran Abbey is one of the best preserved in the Southwest of France. The monastic buildings and gardens located in the heart of a park, in a preserved natural environment on the banks of the Baïse, present a perfect illustration of a Cistercian complex from the 12th century remodeled until the 18th century. Marked by historical vicissitudes, sold during the Revolution and in danger of being dismantled before the First World War, the site was purchased by the Department of Gers in 1970, which carried out an intensive restoration campaign there from the 1980s.

Since 2000, Flaran Abbey, a departmental heritage center and the heart of the Gers museum network, has housed the Departmental Conservation of Heritage and Museums/Flaran, the department's museum and heritage directorate; it develops numerous scientific and cultural activities throughout the year through a rich and diverse program. Open all year round, welcoming the highest number of visitors in Gers as it is a public and paying site, with full accessibility to its spaces and justifying, from 2011 and then 2018, the "grand site Armagnac, Abbaye et cités" label of the Occitanie region, Flaran Abbey has become an essential heritage and cultural reference in the departmental and regional landscape.

A RICH AND DIVERSE ANNUAL PROGRAM

Betting on a cultural will and expectation in a department marked by agriculture and rurality, the Heritage Conservation, supported by the departmental community, has chosen to offer all its audiences events and exhibitions in resonance with this remarkable site, the collections of the network's museums or the departmental heritage in the broad sense. At the heart of the cultural policy of the Gers Departmental Council, the Flaran Abbey has been the seat, since 2000, of reference exhibitions which alternate the most diverse themes, from Antiquity to the contemporary era, and offers, all year round, retrospective exhibitions of artists or more playful events, of Contemporary Art or Archaeology, Comics or Photography, which follow one another in as many meetings with external audiences, in summer discovery, or local visitors, individuals, schools or families...

A REFERENCE COLLECTION

Since July 2004, Flaran Abbey has also been home to an exceptional collection of original works by renowned artists, representing European art from the 16th to the 21st century, deposited by agreement by Mr. Michaël Simonow, the owner. In order to accommodate it, the monks' dormitory (18th century) has undergone a major renovation, with conservation measures for the works on display and upgrades to meet standards for people with reduced mobility or disabilities (ramps, elevator, etc.).

From now on, the works are on semi-permanent display in the dormitory cells, while the corridor and vestibule (over 400m2) host temporary exhibitions related to the collection.

Published every two years, accompanied by an attractive catalogue, these focus on the major trends in the History of Art: Portraits, landscapes, animals and chimeras, still lifes, etc.

Young or old, individually or with family, this exceptional collection is intended for all those who wish to take a wonderful journey to the heart of the artistic trends of our European societies.

ORIGINAL AND INCENTIVE DEVICES FOR CULTURAL DISCOVERIES

To do this and with the support of the Departmental Assembly, Heritage Conservation implements annually and across the entire network around Flaran:

• Original and attractive pricing schemes to welcome a wide range of audiences: low entry fee (€7/adult); free for those under 18; free on the first Sunday of each month from November to March (local public); free during national events; free for visitors with reduced mobility, supervisors, holders of the "cultural pass" or job seekers, etc.

• A rich and diverse program of cultural and museum activities (permanent and temporary exhibitions), in various themes ranging from Archaeology to Contemporary Art...

• A program of fun educational activities and events across the entire network...

• A reference mediation policy for families, young people and school children and/or people with disabilities or disabilities...

• A publishing activity focusing on departmental heritage, exhibitions or the artists hosted...

Monks, nuns: it's your turn!

Young visitors are welcome at Flaran Abbey! In the dormitory, one of the monks' cells is dedicated to young visitors, with games and puzzles to help them discover art and heritage in a fun way.

Come and play with your family with art and heritage at the abbey!

In the monks' dormitory, which houses Mr. Simonow's collection of paintings and sculptures, the mediation center of the Departmental Conservation of Heritage and Museums of Gers (CDPM32) had long dedicated one of the cells to welcoming families visiting the site. This space needed to be harmonized and modernized. Many mediation tools already existed; they were included in the new project. After a survey of the public asking them what they would like to see in addition to the existing facilities, the name of the cell was chosen as a team: “Monks, Nuns… it's your turn!” This space for discovery, games, and manipulation was imagined by the abbey's mediation team and then designed and manufactured by the team from La Fabrique Toi Même. There has been constant discussion between the two teams to enhance existing resources and develop new tools to explore the themes of art and abbeys. La Fabrique Toi Même is an association based in Lot-et-Garonne, which coordinates a network of stakeholders in the fields of cultural mediation, graphic design, museography, and scenography. More information at www.lafabriquetoimeme.fr. The new "Monks and Nonnettes" space is therefore composed of:

• A coat rack desk: this is a table accessible to people in wheelchairs on which is displayed a tactile reproduction of a painting from Mr. Simonow's collection (produced by the Artesens association) accompanied by its text in Braille.

• A library: books, games, creative materials, giant puzzles... and picture frames to become a work of art and take a photo of yourself!

• The surprise table with:

- in the center: storage for puzzles
- a module “Gothic calligraphy almost… effortlessly! ϑ”: an erasable writing desk

- a “I’m going to trace you” module… to gently trace your portrait
- a secret drawer to discover “Who am I?”, a board game based on the exhibition of master pastel artist Ken Paine (1926-2020)

• A wall of expression for the public:

- An abbey setting and costumes for a photoshoot, to post on social media if you feel like it
- Tips and tricks for taking a successful self-portrait in front of the mirror – Children’s exhibition area

- Slates to leave a message
- And finally, a table to highlight the abbey's news

The abbey is part of the national Môm'Art network of museums and cultural sites that welcome families!

Flaran's Little Zoo: Touching allowed!

(Tactile exhibition on the theme of animal sculpture)
PERMANENT EXHIBITION

In addition to the exhibitions and activities of the Departmental Conservation of Heritage and Museums / Flaran, the cultural mediation service invites you to discover, through a permanent, tactile and fun exhibition, reproductions of sculpted animal works.

Coming from major French museums, created by famous or anonymous artists on the most diverse media and providing an aesthetic panorama from Prehistory to the present day, these casts offer an original tactile discovery, reflecting their manufacturing secrets.

Intended for all audiences and families, this exhibition is particularly suitable for schoolchildren and visually impaired or blind people. It is part of the work undertaken by the department for more than ten years, with the support of the departmental owner, to improve accessibility to culture, particularly for young people and visitors with disabilities.
Finally, it offers an original approach to art and the possibility of discovery by the uninitiated.

To extend this fun experience , the following are available: a file to help you discover the sculptures, a video on the RMN-GP casting workshop, a timeline, games and manual activities.

The small mobile Flaran zoo: This mobile device also allows the occasional presentation of these casts outside the walls (schools, retirement homes, etc.); by reservation only and subject to availability
mediators.

This visit can be supplemented by the “sculptor’s workshop” educational kit .

Permanent exhibition designed and coordinated by the Departmental Conservation of Heritage and Museums/Flaran, in partnership with ESAT/La Caillaouère (AGAPEI Auch); Moulages RMN/GPalais.