International Sculpture Festival
Biennial of contemporary open-air sculpture in Montauban
About Sculpture Festival
The International Sculpture Festival: Montauban at the Heart of Creation
The city of Montauban has maintained a special connection with sculpture for centuries. Homeland of Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929), one of the greatest French sculptors of modernity and master to Alberto Giacometti and Henri Matisse, Montauban is naturally destined to host a festival dedicated to this major art form. The International Sculpture Festival perpetuates this heritage by integrating contemporary sculpture into the urban and patrimonial fabric of the city of Montauban.
Organized over two weeks in early summer by the association Espace Bourdelle Sculpture — a sculpture school founded in 1998 by sculptor Christian André-Acquier — the festival takes over five emblematic locations in Montauban: the Maison du Crieur, the Hall du Conseil Départemental de Tarn-et-Garonne, the Espace Bourdelle, the Espace des Augustins, and La Petite Comédie. The entire city thus becomes a temporary open-air museum, accessible to all free of charge.
Sculptors in Action Before the Public
One of the unique features of the International Sculpture Festival lies in the emphasis placed on live demonstrations. French and foreign sculptors work in public, revealing their creative process, techniques, and materials. The public witnesses the birth of a work in real-time: direct carving in stone, clay modeling, metal assembly, wood carving, repurposed industrial felt, mural engraving.
These live creation sessions constitute a valuable educational moment, demystifying artistic practice and creating a direct link between artists and visitors of all ages. Children, in particular, are invited to approach, ask questions, and sometimes even touch the materials at work.
Participatory Workshops
In addition to the demonstrations, the festival offers artistic practice workshops led by invited sculptors or specialized instructors. These workshops, accessible to beginner adults as well as children, provide an introduction to various sculptural techniques in a friendly and creative atmosphere. School sessions are also organized in conjunction with local educational institutions.
A Unifying Theme for Each Edition
Each edition of the festival is organized around a unifying theme that guides artist invitations and directs the exhibition program. After « Complementarity » in 2025, the 2026 edition adopts the theme « Instant & Materials », which explores the dialogue between the artistic gesture, the time of creation, and the transformation of matter — a sensitive look at the creative moment, where sculpture becomes imprint, trace, and living memory.
This thematic thread provides intellectual and aesthetic coherence to the entire event, while allowing artists complete freedom of interpretation and creation.
A Festival in the City, a City in Sculpture
Beyond the dedicated exhibition spaces, the festival invests Montauban's public spaces by installing monumental works in the city's streets, squares, and gardens. These temporary installations transform the daily lives of residents and invite passers-by to a new perspective on their environment.
Some works created during the festival are then permanently integrated into Montauban's sculpted heritage, enriching the open-air sculpture park that the city builds up over the editions.
Montauban, City of Arts and Bourdelle
Antoine Bourdelle's legacy hovers over the festival as both a reference and an invitation. The Musée Ingres-Bourdelle and the Espace Bourdelle, which houses workshops and exhibitions, are at the heart of the festival's setup. Thematic guided tours allow visitors to connect the work of invited contemporary sculptors with Montauban's great sculptural tradition.
Sculpture Festival — edition 2026
The 8th edition of the Montauban International Sculpture Festival takes place from Monday, June 1st to Sunday, June 14th, 2026 on the theme « Instant & Materials ». Aveyron-based sculptor Nadine Vergues, who transforms industrial felt into figures and creatures, is the guest of honor for this new edition. Five city-center venues — Espace des Augustins, Espace Bourdelle, Maison du Crieur, La Petite Comédie and Hall du Conseil Départemental — host exhibitions, live technical demonstrations, symposiums, guided tours, and workshops for children and adult beginners. Free admission to all venues.
Instant & Materials — 8th edition of the International Sculpture Festival
From June 1st to 14th, 2026, Montauban becomes the capital of contemporary sculpture for two weeks. Organized by the Espace Bourdelle Sculpture association, this year the festival brings together about fifty professional and amateur artists, sculptors and visual artists from Occitanie and beyond, around a common theme: « Instant & Materials ».
The 2026 theme: capturing the creative instant
The guiding thread of this edition explores the dialogue between the artistic gesture, the time of creation, and the transformation of matter. From figuration to abstraction, the invited artists translate the instant, the fleeting moment, the spontaneous — that moment when sculpture becomes an imprint, a trace, a living memory.
The guest of honor: Nadine Vergues
A textile sculptor based near Saint-Affrique in southern Aveyron, Nadine Vergues works with recycled industrial felt: she cuts it, folds it, burns it, sews it, paints it, and embroiders it to extract creatures — humans, animals, or chimeras — that offer a vision of life full of fantasy and questioning. A major exhibition is dedicated to her at Espace des Augustins.
Five venues for an artistic stroll
- Espace des Augustins — main exhibition featuring Nadine Vergues and 13 invited artists
- La Petite Comédie — 5 sculptors: Christine Darboux and Délie Duparc (terracotta), Anne Goldfarb (mural bas-relief), Pierre Grinbaum (iron-steel), Marie-Claire Hornain (mural engraving)
- Hall du Conseil Départemental — 13 artists + tribute
- Espace Bourdelle — tribute to Dominique Chouillou (exhibition extended until June 27th)
- Maison du Crieur — exhibition of 25 participants from Espace Bourdelle workshops (extended until June 27th)
Openings, demonstrations, banquet
The first three days of the festival are marked by the successive openings of the five venues. The closing day on Saturday, June 13th offers technical demonstrations, guided tours, workshops for children and adult beginners, a body performance, a New Orleans jazz concert, and a festive dinner bringing together artists and enthusiasts.
A school and a festival
The festival is supported by the Espace Bourdelle Sculpture association, a sculpture school founded in 1998 by Christian André-Acquier, which brings together five instructors and 110 practitioners around regular workshops and thematic courses (welding, papier-mâché, patinas, direct carving). The festival is the annual culmination of this pedagogical and artistic dynamic.
Programme Sculpture Festival 2026
Monday, June 1st, 2026 — Conseil Départemental Opening
- 6:30 PM — Opening of the exhibition at the Hall du Conseil Départemental de Tarn-et-Garonne (100 boulevard Hubert Gouze)
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026 — Espace des Augustins Opening
- 6:30 PM — Opening of the main exhibition featuring Nadine Vergues at Espace des Augustins (27 rue des Augustins)
- Gestural performance by Cie Théâtre L'Écoutille, created to explore Nadine Vergues' artistic universe
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026 — La Petite Comédie Opening
- 6:30 PM — Opening at La Petite Comédie (41 rue de la Comédie): Christine Darboux, Délie Duparc, Anne Goldfarb, Pierre Grinbaum, Marie-Claire Hornain
Thursday, June 4th to Friday, June 12th, 2026 — Exhibitions and workshops
- Exhibitions open Tuesday to Friday from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM (Espace des Augustins: Tue-Fri 2 PM-5 PM, Sat-Sun 3 PM-6 PM)
- Live technical demonstrations by sculptors at the various sites
- Guided tours of the exhibitions
- Workshops for schoolchildren
- Opening of the exhibition « Tribute to Dominique Chouillou » at Espace Bourdelle (from June 4th)
- Opening of the exhibition of workshop participants at Maison du Crieur (from June 4th)
Saturday, June 13th, 2026 — Closing Day
- 2 PM — Technical demonstrations, guided tours, and workshops for children and adult beginners across all sites
- 6 PM — Performance « Matières en'corps »
- 6:30 PM — New Orleans jazz aperitif concert by the Bourbon Street Band
- 8 PM — Festive dinner-banquet bringing together artists, sculptors, and enthusiasts (prior registration required)
Sunday, June 14th, 2026 — Last day
- Last day of exhibition openings
Extensions — June 14th to 27th, 2026
- Exhibitions at Espace Bourdelle (tribute to Dominique Chouillou) and Maison du Crieur (workshop participants) remain visible until June 27th, 2026
Full program and detailed list of artists regularly updated on espacebourdellesculpture.org and the official Facebook page.
Highlights Sculpture Festival 2026
- 8th edition of the festival, from June 1st to 14th, 2026, over two weeks
- 2026 Theme: « Instant & Materials » — dialogue between gesture, time, and transformation of matter
- Guest of honor: Nadine Vergues, textile sculptor from Aveyron (industrial felt)
- 5 exhibition venues in Montauban city center
- About fifty professional and amateur artists from Occitanie and beyond
- Openings: June 1st (Conseil Départemental), June 2nd (Espace des Augustins + Cie L'Écoutille performance), June 3rd (La Petite Comédie)
- Closing day on June 13th: demos, workshops, « Matières en'corps » performance, Bourbon Street Band concert, banquet
- Tribute to Dominique Chouillou at Espace Bourdelle (exhibition extended until June 27th)
- Free admission to all venues
Prices Sculpture Festival 2026
Practical information — Sculpture Festival
Practical Information
Exhibition Venues
Espace des Augustins: 27 rue des Augustins, 82000 Montauban (Tel. 05 63 93 90 86)
Espace Bourdelle: 172 rue Gustave Jay, 82000 Montauban
Maison du Crieur: 41 rue de la Comédie, 82000 Montauban
La Petite Comédie: 41 rue de la Comédie, 82000 Montauban
Hall du Conseil Départemental de Tarn-et-Garonne: 100 boulevard Hubert Gouze, 82000 Montauban
Opening Hours
Tuesday to Friday from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Espace des Augustins: Tuesday to Friday 2 PM-5 PM, Saturday-Sunday 3 PM-6 PM. Exhibitions at Espace Bourdelle and Maison du Crieur extend until June 27, 2026.
Access
By car: Montauban is accessible via the A62 motorway (Bordeaux-Toulouse), exit Montauban Centre. Parking available in the city center.
By train: Montauban-Ville-Bourbon train station, 15-20 minutes walk from the main exhibition sites.
Prices
Free admission to all exhibition venues. Workshops for children and beginner adults require prior registration with the organization.
Contact
Association Espace Bourdelle Sculpture
Tel.: 05 63 63 90 15
Email: [email protected]
Website: espacebourdellesculpture.org
Facebook: facebook.com/espace.b.sculpture
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Where does it take place — Sculpture Festival
Espace Bourdelle, Espace des Augustins, Maison du Crieur, La Petite Comédie et Hall du Conseil Départemental
172 rue Gustave Jay (Espace Bourdelle), 82000 Montauban, 82000 Montauban