JR at Carré Sainte-Anne: an exceptional installation
From June 27 to December 7, 2025, Montpellier is set to host an exceptional artistic experience with the Adventice exhibition by internationally renowned artist JR, in the prestigious setting of the Carré Sainte-Anne. This monumental, participatory installation invites visitors to reflect deeply on memory, human connections, and nature, embodied by a living tree whose leaves are imprinted with visitors’ fingerprints.
A MAGNIFICENT REOPENING FOR THE CARRÉ SAINT-ANNE
Montpellier is preparing to experience a highlight of its cultural season with the reopening of the Carré Sainte-Anne, a beautifully restored neo-Gothic building whose renaissance reflects the respect shown for historical and architectural heritage.
For this occasion, internationally renowned artist JR has been invited to take over the space with a brand new work: Adventice, an immersive and monumental installation, on display from June 27 to December 7, 2025.
The exhibition marks a long-awaited return to this revitalized mecca of contemporary art. True to his committed approach, JR presents a profoundly human work imbued with memory, symbolism, and social engagement.
The centerpiece of the installation takes the form of a monumental tree, whose foliage unfolds over time, enriched by contributions from visitors from across the region and beyond.
A POETIC AND UNIVERSAL WORK
Conceived as a living creation, Adventice invites everyone to leave their mark. The public is warmly invited to cut out and place the silhouette of their hand in one of the collection points provided by the City. These simple gestures, both intimate and collective, nourish the growth of the tree, a sensitive metaphor for the human, cultural, and scientific movements that have shaped Montpellier over the centuries.
The work thus resonates perfectly with the very identity of the city of Montpellier, recognized as the birthplace of France’s first botanical garden and a center of humanist knowledge dating back several centuries. It celebrates a collective memory made up of passages, transmissions, and shared roots, in a setting that is at once sober, powerful, and deeply contemporary.
AN ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE THAT MEETS THE HIGHEST AESTHETIC STANDARDS
Adventice goes beyond simply presenting a work of art: it offers a sensory, immersive, and evolving experience, nourished by human contributions and the passage of time. At the heart of the nave of Carré Sainte-Anne, the tree imagined by JR will gradually rise, like a silent testimony, both intimate and universal, inviting everyone to reconnect with their roots, their community, and the world.
With this in mind, those who wish to fully experience this exceptional cultural event will find accommodation close by that meets their requirements.
To prolong this immersion in memory, beauty, and creativity, the Hôtel Richer de Belleval, a historic hotel in Montpellier, welcomes you, offering a refuge where the French art of living is expressed in all its splendor.
THE HÔTEL RICHER DE BELLEVAL: A LIFESTYLE THAT PROLONGS THE EMOTION
In this unique cultural setting, the Hôtel Richer de Belleval, a jewel of Montpellier hospitality, is the ideal retreat for prolonging this immersion in art, heritage, and Michelin-starred cuisine. With its understated elegance and excellence in local craftsmanship, the hotel offers its guests an experience worthy of the grandeur of the event.
Your getaway to Montpellier becomes a complete sensory experience, enhanced by the culinary artistry of renowned chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, key figures in Montpellier’s gastronomic scene. Their Michelin-starred cuisine, which creatively and delicately reinvents Mediterranean flavors, offers a taste extension to the artistic emotion evoked by the exhibition.
To fully enjoy this unique artistic experience and enjoy an exceptional stay in Montpellier, we invite you to contact the Hôtel Richer de Belleval. Our dedicated team is at your disposal to advise you and organize your visit and accommodation in a refined and personalized setting.
