Château d'Azay-le-Rideau hosts Calder from 15 October
Published on 10/11/2026 at 01:43 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- Château d'Azay-le-Rideau opens Calder at the heart of France on 15 October 2026.
- Alexander Calder’s seven-metre sculpture Reims Croix du Sud will stand in the castle park until 25 April 2027.
- The exhibition is organised by the Centre des monuments nationaux and Centre Pompidou as part of AR(t]CHIPEL 2026.
- The castle in Azay-le-Rideau combines early sixteenth-century Renaissance architecture with a nineteenth-century landscaped park.
Château d'Azay-le-Rideau will host Calder at the heart of France from 15 October 2026, bringing Alexander Calder’s monumental sculpture Reims Croix du Sud to the castle park in Azay-le-Rideau, France. The exhibition will run until 25 April 2027 as part of the AR(t]CHIPEL 2026 festival.
Calder at the heart of France starts on 15 October
The Centre des monuments nationaux and Centre Pompidou are presenting the exhibition at the Renaissance monument. The castle’s official exhibition programme gives the dates as 15 October 2026 to 25 April 2027.
The work on display is Reims Croix du Sud, a monumental sculpture created by the American artist in 1969. The seven-metre work combines a black stabile-like structure with a large balancing element carrying red and blue forms, while four black right-angled triangles extend around its base. The organisers say the outdoor work was designed for presentation in the park.
The installation is part of the fourth edition of AR(t]CHIPEL, a regional festival linking contemporary art with museums, historic buildings and other cultural sites. At Azay-le-Rideau, the programme places Calder’s work in the landscaped grounds rather than inside the furnished rooms.
A seven-metre Calder sculpture meets Renaissance stone
The castle was built for Gilles Berthelot and Philippe Lesbahy during the early sixteenth century, on the foundations of a medieval building between the arms of the Indre. Berthelot acquired the seigneury between 1504 and 1510, and the project introduced Italian Renaissance influences into French building traditions.
The straight grand staircase was completed in 1521 and remains one of the defining features of the monument. The building’s present visual unity also reflects nineteenth-century work by the Biencourt family, including changes to the park and the creation of the water mirrors. The castle became state property in 1905 and is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux, as set out in its monument history dossier.
This setting gives the exhibition its specific focus: a late twentieth-century outdoor sculpture will be encountered against a building whose main architectural story began around four centuries earlier. The contrast is located in the park, where the river landscape and the Renaissance facades form part of the visit.
Visiting Château d'Azay-le-Rideau: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Calder at the heart of France runs at the castle from 15 October 2026 to 25 April 2027, with Reims Croix du Sud displayed in the landscaped park.
- The sculpture is presented in the park and is accessible to people with reduced mobility. The event page does not announce a separate entrance or a closure of the castle rooms.
- The venue is Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, 19 rue Balzac, 37190 Azay-le-Rideau, France. The address places the exhibition within the town rather than at a separate regional venue.
- The visit combines outdoor park paths with the castle’s historic interior and straight grand staircase. The sculpture itself is an open-air installation, while the monument includes several levels and historic rooms.
- French is the official language in France, and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
When does Calder at the heart of France take place at Château d'Azay-le-Rideau?
The exhibition runs from 15 October 2026 to 25 April 2027, with Reims Croix du Sud in the landscaped park.
Where is Château d'Azay-le-Rideau and how do you get there?
It is at 19 rue Balzac in 37190 Azay-le-Rideau, France. The exhibition venue is the castle and its park in the town.
What is Château d'Azay-le-Rideau?
It is a Renaissance castle built during the early sixteenth century and later reshaped in the nineteenth century. The Centre des monuments nationaux manages the state-owned monument.
