Fondation Carmignac, Porquerolles Island

Interesting art collection and very beautiful garden.

Wonderful atmosphere, thanks to the grace design of the museum building. But some staffs are not very nice.

What a mind blowing experience this place is! Accessed through an easily overlooked (if it weren’t for the beautiful sign) dusty sidewalk, you get a feeling for the sheer size of this picturesque manor only after a short walk and a free citronnade from a bar stand. Your journey then leads you up to the entrance where you’re asked to take off your shoes in order to activate an additional sense of yours. You then go down a staircase the handrail of which quickly blossoms into a sort of climbing plant expanding all over the ceiling. And thus starts your experience. The art collection inside is staggering and a very interesting mix of contemporary (Richter, Uecker, etc.), some renaissance paintwork (Botticelli) and amazing art from the African continent. On the top floor, a collection under the theme “brave new world revisited” awaits you make sure not to miss the vibrating floor! But this is only the inside. As soon as you’ve reached the end of the collection inside, you access the grounds, a Mediterranean natural reserve, in which a series of sculptures and installations are integrated such that they could as well have just been there for centuries. Make sure to enter every passageway that you come across in order not to miss hidden gems such as the enormous marble eggs by Nils Udo. Also, do not skip any part of the extensive area as you might well miss the “Path of Emotions” by Jeppe Hein, one of my absolute highlights. At the exit you can then enjoy a quick bite and refreshing drinks such as a rose from the vineyards right on the premises. What’s left to say is that this is a very unique experience that is most enjoyable when the weather is cloudless. This is definitely not a “bad weather option”.

We were highly disappointed with the lack of proper communication about the closure of the foundation for private event. The information about the closure didn’t show up when we were looking at the openings times and only appears on the ticketing page. We liked the foundation a lot last time we visited a few years ago.

Unparalleled gallery in the middle of a luxuriant island, surrounded by olive trees and pines. You won’t want to leave