Contemporary Art in Bordeaux: Visit the FRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine, at the MECA

The MÉCA in Bordeaux is this sumptuous building that emerges like a resplendent arch, emerging from the waters of the Garonne, on the banks near the former southern slaughterhouses of Bordeaux. It is an exhibition space dedicated to contemporary art and more. Contemporary art lovers, but also the curious, will be received by mediators to understand the exhibitions, participate in workshops and immerse themselves in the fascinating world of this art, which questions , makes you think and surprises. Let yourself be touched by this set as beautiful as it is surprising, an experience not to be missed during your holidays in Bordeaux!

Photos from the report © Frac Nouvelle-Aquitaine MÉCA, La MÉCA and additional mentions under the photos

Opening photo of the article © Laurian-Ghinitoiu

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Visit the MECA of Bordeaux

MECA, what is it? Who and what is hidden inside this curious asymmetrical building, which contrasts with the landscape and yet blends in so well? It is a superb set designed by the Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. Inside, 3 regional cultural agencies dedicated to performing arts (OARA), to the Book, Cinema and Audiovisual sectors (ALCA) and the Frac Nouvelle-Aquitaine MÉCA (Regional Fund for Contemporary Art) share the places to make it vibrate through culture, thus honoring their missions of supporting artists, dissemination and mediation.

All the regions of France have their Frac, since the law of decentralization of culture, it is an institution which is there to testify and represent, to reflect contemporary art on the territory. Making culture accessible to all is won because the entrance fee for the Frac at the MÉCA is 2 euros " minimum " (a free and conscious participation, which you can increase according to your ability and your attraction for the place) . We will therefore see international artists, neo-Aquitaine and of course, emerging artists!

2 annual " highlights " exhibitions take place and they are held on a huge 1200m2 stage ( unpublished, there is no equivalent in the region!). 3 more intimate exhibition halls have also been open for 2 years, to the public who have seized and enthusiastically adopted the MÉCA, which has been open since 2019. The major main exhibitions are designed in collaboration with guest independent external curators by FRAC Director Claire Jacquet. In parallel with the programming at the MÉCA, the Frac annually offers more than twenty exhibitions in the region. He initiated regional exhibition programs involving a dozen cultural partners. The Frac Collection, for its part, brings together no less than 1,443 works of art, emblematic of contemporary art over the past forty years.

The site is labeled Tourism and Handicap, it is accessible to people with all types of disabilities.

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Organize your discovery of contemporary art in Bordeaux

Getting to the Frac at the MÉCA is very easy, the building is a 10-minute walk from Bordeaux train station . An advantage of proximity… The opening hours of the Frac are from Wednesday to Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (closed on public holidays). The Frac receives schoolchildren and you can come and visit it with your family because the programming (especially during school holidays ) is adapted to young audiences. We can come with all levels of knowledge on the subject of contemporary art. The exhibition spaces are made to be fun and educational, thanks to identification cards to find out more and understand what you are looking at. Do you like interacting with humans? Cultural mediators are there to guide you in your discovery of contemporary art. They will share with you the keys to understanding , the levers to feel the emotion that the artist wanted to bring out in you, or another emotion, for that matter, because the important thing is to appropriate the art in its own way! The visit will also be made with the help of a booklet of the consulted exhibition, to know its history.

There is always something to see at the Frac, but to find out about the subject in advance, we advise you to consult the website (fr) or the social networks, which are active and up to date!

If you are a bit hungry, the MÉCA has its own little restaurant with around sixty seats. We come to snack and presto, we have an exhibition? (Reopening November 7, 2022)

To visit the Frac Nouvelle-Aquitaine at the MÉCA, allow at least 1 hour, more if you are captivated by the subject. Workshops are organized regularly to make art accessible, get your hands dirty, touch, feel and create.

Do you now want to go there? So do not hesitate! Go to the MÉCA with enthusiasm, jump with your feet together into contemporary art, through this site dedicated to culture, accessible, very aesthetic and modern. You will not regret it !

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