Contemporary Art Exhibition - Abbaye d'Auberive
Contemporary art at the heart of a Cistercian abbey in Haute-Marne
About Contemporary Art Auberive
An exceptional contemporary art center in a Cistercian abbey
Nestled in the Aube valley, in the heart of the Parc national de forêts, the Abbaye d'Auberive is a heritage jewel founded in 1135 by Saint Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux. After eight centuries of turbulent history marked by the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of Religion, and the Revolution, the abbey was reborn in the 21st century thanks to the vision of collector and entrepreneur Jean-Claude Volot, who established an ambitious contemporary art center in the west wing of the monastery starting in 2006.
The Volot Collection: a major artistic heritage
The art center houses one of the most important private collections of figurative expressionism and singular art in France. The Volot Collection brings together major works by Paul Rebeyrolle, Jean Rustin, Lydie Arickx, Karel Appel, Alfred Gillet, and Stani Nitkowski, as well as a remarkable collection of art brut and outsider art, from Fred Deux to Pierre Bettencourt. This constantly evolving collection reflects a powerful artistic sensibility focused on expressing the deepest human emotions.
Reference thematic summer exhibitions
Each year, from June to the end of September, the art center conceives a four-month thematic exhibition that highlights a major artist or artistic movement, accompanied by a selection of works from the permanent collection. In 2025, the exhibition Anima(ex)Musica presented the utopian and sonic bestiary of the collective Tout reste à faire (Mathieu Desailly, Vincent Gadras, David Chalmin), whose animated creatures are made from discarded musical instruments, in dialogue with a selection of works from the Volot collection on the ground floor.
A multidisciplinary cultural hub
Beyond contemporary art exhibitions, the Abbaye d'Auberive is a cultural hub that hosts classical and world music concerts, theater performances, conferences, readings, and artist residencies throughout the season. The association Abbaye, Bâtir et Innover (A.B.I.) animates this unique place in partnership with the Parc national de forêts, the Grand Est Region, and the Department of Haute-Marne.
An exceptional heritage setting
The visit to the art center is inseparable from the discovery of the abbey's architectural heritage: cloister, conventual rooms, gardens, and wooded park. The Abbaye d'Auberive is classified as a Historic Monument and is one of the major sites of Cistercian heritage in Champagne. Visitors can combine the discovery of contemporary art with a guided historical tour of the abbey complex, for a complete cultural experience blending eight centuries of history and contemporary artistic creation.
Contemporary Art Auberive — edition 2026
From June 7 to September 27, 2026, the contemporary art center of Auberive Abbey presents Gilbert Peyre. Les Mondes arrangés, a monographic exhibition dedicated to the electromechanical artist Gilbert Peyre. Around thirty works trace his entire career, in dialogue with a selection from the Volot collection presented on the first floor of the art center.
Gilbert Peyre. Les Mondes arrangés — the 2026 exhibition
The 2026 summer exhibition at the contemporary art center of Auberive Abbey is dedicated to Gilbert Peyre, sculptor, visual artist, and object director, a singular figure in French contemporary creation. Curated by Alexia Volot, the exhibition Les Mondes arrangés brings together around thirty works that span the artist's entire career, from drawing and painting to the famous electromechanical machines that made his reputation — these "electromechanomaniacs," poetic and dreamlike automatons where characters, objects, and hybrid creatures come to life.
Born in 1947, Gilbert Peyre has been developing a unique universe since the 1980s, between object theater, animated sculpture, and mechanical poetry. His work was presented in 2024-2025 during a major retrospective at the Halle Saint-Pierre in Paris (L'Électromécanomaniaque) which confirmed his singular place in the landscape of outsider art and marginal contemporary creation.
The Volot collection on the first floor
As every season, the first floor of the art center hosts a thematic selection of works from the Volot collection, in resonance with the main exhibition. In 2026, this selection dialogues Gilbert Peyre's Mondes arrangés with singular and figurative expressionist artists from the collection:
- Jean-Pierre Nadau
- Muriel Belin
- Georges Bru
- Philippe Dereux
- Fred Deux
- Sabrina Gruss
- Andrée et Jean Moiziard
- Louis Pons
- Ronan-Jim Sévellec
- Joel-Peter Witkin
A vibrant parallel season
Throughout the summer season, Auberive Abbey also hosts a program of concerts, musical readings, and plastic arts workshops that punctuate the discovery of the exhibition — country folk with Loner Deer, Brazilian music with the Bocata Trio, a musical reading around Pascal Quignard by Cie Le Rocher des Doms, classical and traditional music with Bruno Maurice & Raphaël Jouan, string quartet with the Quatuor Onslow, and plastic arts workshops for children led by Sarah Guenin.
Programme Contemporary Art Auberive 2026
Gilbert Peyre Exhibition. Les Mondes arrangés
From Sunday, June 7 to Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Ground floor — Gilbert Peyre: around thirty works (electromechanical machines, animated sculptures, drawings, paintings) covering the artist's entire career
- First floor — Selection from the Volot collection: Jean-Pierre Nadau, Muriel Belin, Georges Bru, Philippe Dereux, Fred Deux, Sabrina Gruss, Andrée et Jean Moiziard, Louis Pons, Ronan-Jim Sévellec, Joel-Peter Witkin
Vibrant 2026 Season — concerts, readings and workshops
- Saturday, June 27 · 7:30 PM — Loner Deer · Country folk concert (10 €)
- Wednesdays, July 15, 22 and 29 · 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM — Plastic arts workshops with Sarah Guenin · For children aged 6 to 12, around the exhibited works (10 € per session)
- Saturday, July 18 · 6:30 PM — Bocata Trio · Brazilian vocal trio (bossa-nova, samba, traditional music) — Full price 18 €
- Saturday, July 25 · 6:30 PM — Cie Le Rocher des Doms · Musical reading of excerpts from a Pascal Quignard novel accompanied by viola da gamba (12 €)
- Sunday, August 9 · 6:30 PM — Bruno Maurice & Raphaël Jouan · Accordion and cello, program inspired by traditional music from Central Europe and Latin America — Full price 18 €
- Saturday, August 22 · 6:30 PM — Quatuor Onslow · String quartet, works by Mozart, Bartók and Schubert — Full price 18 €
Art center opening hours (June to end of September 2026)
- Tuesday: 2:00 PM - 6:30 PM
- Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM - 6:30 PM
- Closed on Monday
Highlights Contemporary Art Auberive 2026
- Monographic exhibition Gilbert Peyre. Les Mondes arrangés — around thirty works by the electromechanical artist, from June 7 to September 27, 2026
- Curated by Alexia Volot — Gilbert Peyre's first monographic exhibition in Auberive after his major retrospective at the Halle Saint-Pierre (Paris, 2024-2025)
- Selection of 10 singular artists from the Volot collection on the first floor: Nadau, Belin, Bru, Dereux, Fred Deux, Gruss, Moiziard, Pons, Sévellec, Witkin
- A rich vibrant season: 5 concerts and musical readings (country folk, Brazilian, classical, traditional) + 3 plastic arts workshops for children
- Exceptional heritage setting — 12th-century Cistercian abbey in the heart of the Parc national de forêts
Prices Contemporary Art Auberive 2026
Practical information — Contemporary Art Auberive
Access
The Abbaye d'Auberive is located at 1 Place de l'Abbaye, 52160 Auberive, in the Haute-Marne department, in the heart of the Parc national de forêts.
- By car from Paris (approx. 3h): Take the A5 motorway towards Langres, then take the exit for the D428 towards Auberive. From Dijon (approx. 1h15), take the A31 towards Langres then the D974 and the D428. Free parking is available in the immediate vicinity of the abbey.
- By car from Troyes (approx. 1h30): Take the D960 then the D428 towards Auberive through the forest.
- By train: Langres TGV station (45 km away) or Chaumont station (60 km away), then transfer by car or taxi. There is no direct public transport to the village of Auberive.
Art center opening hours
The contemporary art center is open during the summer season, from June to the end of September:
- Tuesday: 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM
- Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM
- Closed on Mondays
Outside the summer season, historical tours of the abbey are offered all year round, Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM, by prior appointment by contacting the abbey by phone or email.
Prices
- Full price (abbey visit + contemporary art center): €10
- Reduced price (students, job seekers, under 18s, people with disabilities, upon presentation of proof): €5
- Free for children under 12 years old
- Group guided tour: by reservation, price to be agreed according to group size
Contact and reservations
Phone: 03 25 84 20 20
Email: [email protected]
Website: abbaye-auberive.com
Facebook: Abbaye d'Auberive
Instagram: @abbaye_auberive
On-site services and amenities
A bookstore-boutique is located in the abbey, offering exhibition catalogs, contemporary art books, artist monographs, and merchandise related to current exhibitions. The Auberge Abbatiale, located in the immediate vicinity of the abbey, offers quality dining and accommodation to extend your visit. The site is partially accessible to people with reduced mobility; it is advisable to contact the abbey in advance for detailed accessibility conditions.
Nearby
Auberive is located in the heart of the Parc national de forêts, offering numerous opportunities for hiking and discovering the surrounding nature. The fortified town of Langres, a city of art and history and the birthplace of Diderot, is 45 km away and worth a complementary visit. The Lake Vingeanne and the sources of the Marne and Aube rivers are also accessible nearby for outdoor enthusiasts.
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Where does it take place — Contemporary Art Auberive
Abbaye d'Auberive - Centre d'Art Contemporain
1 Place de l'Abbaye, 52160 Auberive, 52160 Auberive