Accessible via a scenic tender ride and nature trail, Villa Carmignac on Île de Porquerolles offers an intimate and unique art experience. Hosting annual exhibitions, this year’s ‘The Infinite Woman’, curated by Alona Pardo, sheds light on the ways in which women have been viewed from the earliest myths to the most contemporary and subversive representations.
Surrounded by a vast garden inhabited by 16 sculptures, this secluded villa, set in a Mediterranean forest, houses an impressive collection of contemporary art within a 2,000 square metre exhibition space illuminated by a ceiling of water. Originally a farmhouse featured in Jean-Luc Godard’s film “Pierrot le Fou,” it was transformed into a villa in the 1980s by architect Henri Vidal. Édouard Carmignac later envisioned it as a dedicated art space, a vision realised with contributions from the Barani workshop and GMAA agency. The villa’s design respects the surrounding national park, integrating seamlessly into the landscape.
Inside, the villa’s cross-shaped layout features expansive rooms with the central space bathed in natural light from the water ceiling. The surrounding garden is dedicated to preserving indigenous plants like Hyères lavender and cistus and incorporates the replanting of olive trees and exotic flora such as Jacarandas and Eucalyptus. Sculptures are thoughtfully placed among the trees, creating a dynamic interplay between art and nature.
