Voyons Voir

What Voyons Voir does

Voyons Voir is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded around 2007 and headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, operating in the contemporary art and territory space. The organization functions as a producer and coordinator rather than a fixed venue, placing artists in residency at heritage and industrial sites across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region — including vineyards, châteaux, a working tile factory, a former munitions site, a boatyard, gardens, and rehabilitation centers — and presenting the resulting works through public exhibitions, the annual WATERGAME festival, and cultural mediation programs aimed at making contemporary art accessible outside traditional museum settings. Programming is distributed across 20+ partner sites spanning Pays d'Aix, Pays Salonais, Marseille, and Var departments, and is co-produced with three regional art schools (ESAAIX, ESADMM, Beaux-arts de Marseille), FRAC PACA, and the national/international Artistes en Résidence network.

Core offerings include multi-site artist residencies, public exhibitions, the WATERGAME participatory festival (notably held in the Pavillon Vendôme garden in Aix-en-Provence during PAC), cultural mediation activities led by named mediator Chrystelle Bontemps (guided visits, school and social-center workshops), open calls for artists and curators, and printed/digital editorial documentation such as the 'Etre là - résidences d'artistes à la campagne' edition. The technology footprint is minimal: a WordPress CMS-managed primary website (voyonsvoir.org) supplemented by a newer digital hub (voyonsvoir.art, launched February 2022), an email newsletter, and Facebook/Twitter social channels. No mobile apps, proprietary platform, or API surface exists (api_exists: false).

Revenue is generated through a non-commercial mix typical of French loi 1901 associations: institutional subsidies from Région Sud PACA, DRAC PACA (Ministère de la Culture), Conseil Départemental des Bouches-du-Rhône, multiple municipal partners (Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Saint-Chamas, Eyguières), corporate patronage (AG2R La Mondiale Foundation, Bâtimétal, Rotary Club), and individual membership/adhesion fees. The organization operates with a small team of 11-50 staff led by director Erika Negrel (appointed November 2013), succeeding founder Bernadette Clot-Goudard. No venture capital, parent company, subsidiaries, or commercial ownership structure exists; the association is independent and governed by a volunteer bureau.

Name

Voyons Voir

Legal name

voyons voir | art contemporain et territoire

Website

https://voyonsvoir.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Voyons Voir is a French nonprofit association (loi 1901) founded in 2007 and headquartered in Aix-en-Provence that organizes artist residencies, exhibitions, and cultural mediation at 20+ heritage and industrial sites across the PACA region, serving general public audiences, young artists, municipalities, and corporate patrons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art & Cultural Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHAAAG

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

Keywords

• Contemporary art residencies
• Heritage site exhibitions
• Cultural mediation services
• Public art festivals
• Territory arts association

Headquarters

HQ city

Aix-en-provence

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Voyons Voir is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) that runs contemporary art residency programs and exhibitions hosted at more than 20 heritage sites across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The organization places artists in residence at historical locations to produce site-specific work, organizes public exhibitions, delivers cultural mediation activities for schools and community groups, and publishes editions related to its programming. Its annual WATERGAME festival anchors the association's public-facing calendar.

Product overview

Voyons Voir operates as a nonprofit cultural association (association loi 1901) organizing artist residencies, exhibitions, and educational programs at heritage and industrial sites across the Provence region. The core offering consists of artist residency placements at partner locations (Domaine du Défend, Tuilerie Monier, Chantier Naval Borg, and others), public exhibition programs presenting resulting works, the annual WATERGAME festival, cultural mediation services, and published documentation. The organization functions as a single unified program rather than a platform-with-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artist Residencies (Résidences d'artistes)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Conseil Départemental des Bouches-du-RhônecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional funding partner providing operational support for the association's residency and exhibition programs across Bouches-du-Rhône territory.
• Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional institutional partner and primary funder supporting artistic programming and residency operations across the PACA region.
• Ministère de la Culture / DRAC PACAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational ministry and regional cultural affairs directorate providing state funding and institutional recognition for artistic projects, including direct support for artist residencies at Tuilerie Monier.
• Ville d'Aix-en-ProvencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner hosting WATERGAME festival, supporting Frédérique Nalbandian's permanent artwork at Parc du Grand Saint-Jean, and co-producing events with ESAAIX.
• Ville de MarseillemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for Buropolis project, Chantier Naval Borg activities, and broader contemporary art programming within Marseille city limits.
• Ville de Saint-ChamasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner hosting programs at the former Poudrerie (artillery factory) park and other municipal heritage sites, including Ugo Schiavi residency and expo programming.
• Ville d'EyguièresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner municipality for exhibitions at Moulin de l'Alcazar and cultural events, including 2018 Capital Provençale de la Culture programming.
• Communauté d'Agglomération Provence VerteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntercommunal structure partnering with CAC de Châteauvert for contemporary art programming in the Var department.
• École Supérieure d'Art d'Aix-en-Provence (ESAAIX)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding coproduction partner for annual artist residencies at Domaine du Défend and other sites. ESAAIX students and graduates are primary beneficiaries of residency programs.
• École Supérieure d'Art et de Design de Marseille (ESADMM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt school partner for Tuilerie Monier residency program, coproducing artist residencies with graduates of the Marseille school since 2016.
• Beaux-arts de Marseille (Institut national supérieur d'enseignement artistique Marseille Méditerranée)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner art school contributing to multi-school residencies at Domaine du Défend alongside ESAAIX and ESADMM.
• FRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional contemporary art fund partnering on Lara Almarcegui exhibitions, Port-Cros national park residencies with Hélène Baillot and Raphaël Botiveau, and other projects.
• Parc National de Port-Cros et PorquerollesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational park partnering with Voyons Voir and FRAC PACA for artist residencies exploring natural heritage themes, including Hélène Baillot and Raphaël Botiveau residency.
• Parc de la Poudrerie (SIANPOU et Conservatoire du Littoral)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatural heritage site (former munitions factory) in Saint-Chamas/Miramas hosting artist residencies and outdoor exhibitions in partnership with Voyons Voir.
• Tuileries MoniermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive industrial heritage partner hosting artist residencies in the working Marseille tile factory since 2015, including Lara Almarcegui, Rachel Poignant, Edwin Cuervo, and Karim Ghelloussi.
• Domaine du Défend (Famille Coutagne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner estate in Rousset hosting annual artist residencies since 2013, including the flagship Domaine du Défend residency program with art school graduates and curators.
• Domaine de SurianemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWine estate in Saint-Chamas hosting artist residencies and outdoor exhibitions (Diego Bustamante, Julie Navarro, Marine Provost, Chloé Vivien).
• Moulin de Vernègues (Châteaux & Hôtels Collection)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoutique hotel partner in Mallemort hosting artist residencies and annual exhibitions since 2015, with rotating artist productions in the estate's park.
• Centre Richebois (Centre de Réadaptation Professionnelle)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarseille rehabilitation center hosting annual artist residencies and exhibitions since 2014, with participatory workshops involving center trainees.
• Chantier Naval BorgmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarseille boatyard hosting artist residencies and exhibitions as part of PAC programming, including Olivier Millagou WINTER A-GO-GO and Delphine Wibaux.
• Centre d'Art Contemporain de Châteauvert (CAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContemporary art center in Var department hosting Charlotte Pringuey-Cessac residency in 2018, supported by the Provence Verte community.
• Buropolis (Uklukk / Yes We Camp)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovative workspace project in Marseille hosting a cycle of artist residencies and exhibitions (Ludovic Hadjeras, Vincent-Mickaël Vallet, Martha-Maria Lebars, Alisson Schmitt, Paul Heintz, Roy Köhnke) from 2021.
• Artistes en Résidence (Réseau Arts en Résidence)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of residency structures (including Maison Salvan, Artistes en résidence Clermont-Ferrand, Le Cube Rabat) partnering on international curator residency exchanges.
• ART-O-RAMAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational contemporary art fair in Marseille where Voyons Voir presents the annual residency laureate, including Karim Ghelloussi (2013) and ongoing programs with Louise Mervelet.
• Paréidolie (Salon international du dessin contemporain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual drawing fair partnering on season programming with exhibitions at Château Grand Boise, Moulin de Vernègues, and Domaine de Saint-Ser.
• La Jardin de la Petite EscalèreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSculpture garden in southwest France partnering in cross-residency exchange with Domaine de Suriane, enabling Julie Navarro's residency program.
• BâtimétalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetalworking company in Trets producing Frédérique Nalbandian's permanent public artwork 'Mirage' in the Parc du Grand Saint-Jean, Aix-en-Provence.
• Jardin des 5 Sens et des Formes PremièresmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRemarkable classified garden in Saint-Marc-Jaumegarde hosting annual artist residencies and exhibitions since 2014 (Marie Lelouche, Claire Camous, Kleber Matheus, gethan&myles).
• M2F Créations / Lab GamerzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAix-en-Provence creative studio partnering on WATERGAME festival production, including Elisa Fantozzi and student workshops.
• Manifesta (Parallèles du Sud)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean biennial of contemporary art partnering with Voyons Voir for Parallèles du Sud programming at Chantier Naval Borg and Forlane 6 studio project.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Buropolis / Yes We Camp: Marseille-based innovative workspace and cultural project running the Buropolis residency cycles that Voyons Voir co-organizes. Both share a residency-and-exhibition model targeting urban Marseille heritage/industrial spaces.
• FRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: Regional contemporary art fund partnering with Voyons Voir on multiple exhibitions and residencies (Lara Almarcegui, Port-Cros residencies). Both operate in PACA with parallel artist-support missions and overlapping funder relationships.
• Maison Salvan: Artistes en Résidence network member running residencies in rural heritage settings. Direct peer of Voyons Voir through the shared Arts en Résidence network, with comparable small-team nonprofit operations and heritage-site partnerships.
• Centre d'Art Contemporain de Châteauvart (CAC Châteauvart): Contemporary art center in Var department hosting artist residencies and exhibitions. Voyons Voir partners with CAC Châteauvart for residencies (Charlotte Pringuey-Cessac), and both organizations run residency + exhibition programs in PACA heritage contexts.
• Artistes en Résidence (Réseau Arts en Résidence): National French network of residency structures organizing artist and curator residencies across multiple sites. Voyons Voir is an explicit partner member, and both organizations operate the same model of curating site-specific residencies with public partners.

Broad incumbents

• Villa Médicis (Académie de France à Rome): French Academy in Rome hosting prestigious artist residencies in a heritage setting. Shares Voyons Voir's heritage-anchored residency model but operates internationally under state tutelage with significantly larger resources.
• Palais de Tokyo: Paris-based center for contemporary creation producing exhibitions, residencies, and events at national scale. Comparable contemporary-art-and-territory positioning, though at much larger institutional scale and budget than Voyons Voir.
• Triangle Network: International network of artist residencies and exchanges including Marseille-based members. Operates the same residency-and-cultural-exchange model that Voyons Voir delivers regionally but with global geographic reach and higher visibility.

Regional players

• La Friche la Belle de Mai: Major Marseille cultural institution repurposing a former tobacco factory into multidisciplinary arts and residency spaces. Comparable territorial-heritage-to-contemporary-art conversion model, though at significantly larger scale within Marseille.

Emerging players

• Atelier de Recherche et de Création (ARC) — Maison des Arts: French residency structures offering artist residency programs in territorial/heritage contexts. Comparable scale and nonprofit model to Voyons Voir, with similar institutional funder dependencies and artist-school partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/VVoir
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/voyons-voir-art-contemporain-territoire/193033690765299?fref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/voyons-voir

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Voyons Voir