France is waiting for its Olympic Games and Normandy to be able to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Landings and the 150 years of Impressionism. The many activities that are taking place and the spring holidays are a good opportunity to begin diving into History before indulging in the pleasures of sport. So why not go to the Château de Bois-Guilbert, near Rouen, to visit the sculptor Jean-Marc De Pas?
Doctor in Arts and Art Sciences, graduate of Fine Arts and the Boulle school, he has been based since 1989 on the family estate founded in 1620 by his ancestor Charles Le Pesant. Surrounded by plains as far as the eye can see and century-old trees, the Norman artist has for 40 years devoted his life to his work anchored in the mass until creating his poetic sculpture garden in the park: “I am inhabited by a land, a land of childhood, a land of asylum. I grew there like a tree and my fingers, having become roots, search the depths of the soil.
His artistic creations are visible throughout France: the Countess of Paris in Eu, Michel Serrault in Honfleur, John Paul II in Paris or even Jean Moulin in Amiens, Mother Teresa in Paris or Serge Dassault in Saint-Cloud. In October 2023, Jean-Marc De Pas inaugurated his Little Prince in New York. A sort of accomplishment intended to pay homage to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry whose first two-meter statue has been enthroned since 2003 at the entrance to Air Base 113 in Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne). For the 80th anniversary of the disappearance of the aviator-author, the castle is opening its doors until November 3 with an exhibition entitled “Saint-Exupéry, Commander Aviator and Writer”.
The Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Foundation for Youth has lent the Château de Bois-Guilbert 28 illustrated panels enriched with quotes to commemorate the 80 years of his disappearance in the Mediterranean. This exhibition will be visible on the Normandy site and its green setting that the owners want to “open to as many people as possible to discover this harmony between nature and art”. “We also want to share the values of commitment, courage in the service of the general interest and humanism of this exceptional figure,” assures Stéphanie De Pas.
“I have had an interest in Saint-Exupéry since my childhood after reading The Little Prince, the record with the voice of Gérard Philipe, then during my adolescence with the discovery of his complete works. I wrote my artistic history around this great man. This exhibition was an obvious choice at the castle to discover its multiple facets, from the Aéropostale to the designer, including the author and the campaigner against dictatorships. We can perhaps make comparisons with current events,” suggests Jean-Marc De Pas.
In the different rooms, documents, objects including the facsimile of the pilot’s bracelet found in 1998 by a fisherman. Photographs by John Phillips from Life Magazine sit alongside sculptures including the second copy of the now famous little character created by De Pas on 5th Avenue. In the park, visitors will be greeted by a replica of the Saint-Ex aviator and will be able to discover around thirty illustrations by Cédric Fernandez from his comic strips.
This exhibition is part of the 2024 program of events managed by the Le Jardin des sculptures association, which will offer meetings during the summer with Jean-Marc De Pas, Cédric Fernandez or even the successful novelist Michel Bussi who is coming to release “Code 612, who killed the Little Prince? » The castle renews its classical music festival with six concerts between July 14 and August 18.
Holder of the Remarkable Garden label awarded by the Ministry of Culture, it will offer Rendez-vous aux jardins (from May 31 to June 2) on the theme of the five senses. Without forgetting, Saturday May 11 and Sunday May 12, World Topiary Days. A “Family” offer with access to the workshop and meeting with the artist is available. The season will conclude with the 15th edition of Bois-Guilbert Rétro, with its dozens of exceptional collector’s cars (August 25), and the 41st European Heritage Days, September 21 and 22, on the theme Heritage of routes, networks and connections.