Contemporary art comes to the Crozatier Museum

Published on 05 Jan 2026

Reading time: 4 min.

From December 6, 2025 to June 7, 2026, the Crozatier Museum opens its doors to a unique art exhibition: the "Hors-cadre" (Outside the Frame) exhibition , conceived in collaboration with the FRAC Auvergne. An immersive experience where contemporary art unfolds within the very heart of the permanent collections, transforming the museum into a true forum for dialogue between historical works and current creations.

An exhibition

which is outside the box

With Hors-cadre , the FRAC Auvergne has brought together a selection of works that challenge conventions, both literally and figuratively. Monumental installations, floor sculptures, and frameless or pedestal-less pieces: the works freely occupy the museum's galleries, mingle with the permanent collections, and invite visitors to rethink their relationship to space.

From Étienne Bossut's colorful spiral in dialogue with the white sculptures of the old hall, to Roland Cognet's works responding to the Roman milestones in the Gallo-Roman gallery, each piece creates a subtle echo with the historical works. Carla Arocha's large mirrored plexiglass curtain, Aurélie Pétrel's installations that literally lean against the museum walls, and the works of Abdelkader Benchamma and Daniel Spoerri, symbolically overflowing their frames, extend this exploration of a contemporary art that breaks free from two-dimensionality.

In Hors-cadre (Outside the Frame ), the museum itself becomes the frame, and the viewer is fully involved. The exhibition thus offers a new way of experiencing the space, observing the artworks, and feeling contemporary art.

A program of meetings

to experience the exhibition differently

The exhibition will be punctuated by several public events. A lecture will be held on February 26, 2026, at 18:30 p.m. , led by Laure Forlay, interim co-director of the FRAC Auvergne. Free and open to all , it will explain the scenographic choices and the subtle dialogue established between the museum's collections and the contemporary artworks. This special event will offer valuable insights into the exhibition's conception and its artistic ambition.

In addition, guided tours will be offered on Sundays, January 11 and 25 , February 8 and 22 , and March 8 and 22 , all at 14:30 p.m. These one-hour guided tours, accessible by registration only, invite the public to rediscover the museum's permanent collections through the lens of six contemporary works from the FRAC Auvergne. This is a unique opportunity to observe how these contemporary pieces transform the way we view the permanent works and offer a fresh perspective on the museum's exhibition.

Driven by the encounter between heritage and creation, the Hors-cadre exhibition stands out as a highlight of the 2026 cultural season and an invitation to explore the Crozatier museum as it has never been seen before!

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