Un Été au Couvent

A cultural meeting center in the heart of a medieval convent

Founded in 1294 by the Dominican preaching friars, the Guebwiller convent is a 14th-century architectural gem listed as a Historic Monument. Its nave, whose construction began in 1306, houses dizzying medieval murals and offers exceptional acoustics. Acquired by the Departmental Council of Haut-Rhin in 1990, the site was awarded the label Centre Culturel de Rencontre (CCR) in 2014. Dedicated to music, digital arts, cabaret, and botanical arts, it is today one of the most unique cultural venues in Alsace.

Immersive digital installations in the Gothic nave

The heart of Un Été au Couvent lies in the immersive artistic installations displayed in the monumental spaces of the convent. Each summer, artists in residence create new works that dialogue with the architecture:

• Nature 360° — immersive headset cinema offering a dive into nature.
• Ocean Deep — cubic video mapping projecting the ocean depths.
• Les Deux Merveilles — shadow and light installation.
• Relax Max — relaxation mapping in the cloister.
• Orgues d'Argile — sound sculptures in ceramic by artist Laima Orgla.
• Vosges Passion — seasonal photographic exhibition.

These creations, at the crossroads of digital art, sound art, and visual art, offer a unique sensory experience in an exceptional heritage setting.

La Guinguette du Couvent: conviviality under the lime trees

Under the century-old lime trees of the cloister or in three private covered domes, the Guinguette du Couvent is the summer living space of the Dominicans. Open from late June to late August, at lunchtime and in the evening, it offers convivial dining, musical brunches on Sundays, intimate concerts, and DJ sets. On Friday evenings, as part of the Guebwiller City Afterworks, the convent transforms into a nocturnal party venue until midnight, with VJing and an open-air dance floor.

A rich and eclectic program

Beyond the installations and the guinguette, Un Été au Couvent offers a dense cultural program: guided tours of the convent and its murals, creative workshops for families, concerts in the nave (from classical music to cabaret), Full Moon Nights combining dinner and show, and musical night walks. The CCR also hosts artists such as Alain Chamfort or world music ensembles in its summer program.

A place of creation and transmission

The Dominicans of Haute-Alsace are not just a venue for performances: the chapter house houses an audiovisual creation laboratory where artists from around the world work in residence. Un Été au Couvent allows the public to discover the results of these residencies and to interact with the creators, in a spirit of transmission and sharing that is central to the mission of Cultural Encounter Centers.