Fondation Camargo

Artists' residencies in Cassis

The villa of an artist and philanthropist

Jerome Hill had more than one string to his bow: this American artist was a director, producer, scriptwriter, photographer and actor. In 1939, he acquired a painter's villa, as well as the former Aubagnais cabin built by Napoleon Bonaparte's army. He designed a space dedicated to creation and experimentation, by creating an open-air theatre, terraces and Mediterranean gardens, to which he invited artists.

In 1967, he created the Fondation Camargo. Dividing his life between Cassis and New York, Jerome Hill created an artistic and cultural dialogue between France and the United States, which the Foundation continues to develop through its status as an international and interdisciplinary residence. Hill died in 1972 and the villa was designated a Maison des Illustres in 2018.

The emergence of ideas and cultural excitement

Fondation Camargo's mission is to give space and time to artists-in-residence for a period of one to three months. "The aim is to provide a space for artists-in-residence to focus, reflect and exchange with their peers while developing their research," explains Julie Chénot, head of programming at Camargo. "To do this, we have a dozen flats available, along with a music-conference room, a visual arts studio, a composer's house, an open-air Greek theatre, and magnificent gardens, places all conducive to meditation and creativity." The residence has hosted over 1,000 artists and researchers since its inception.

The National Park: an asset for the Foundation

For the residents of Camargo, the National Park represents an inexhaustible subject of research on the predominant link between humans, culture and nature. "Our wish is to work together with the National Park on artistic projects on this theme, which is inherent to this immense territory," says Julie Chénot.

The immediate proximity of the Calanques National Park is therefore a considerable asset for inspiring artists and researchers, some of whom have turned it into an artistic research area. This is the case with the Egyptian artist Alaa Abdelhamid, who has carried out research on the Cassis stone, the choreographer Erin Ellen Kelly, who has created choreographic works inspired by the limestone landscapes of the Calanques, and Nicolas Floc’h, who has brought to light the underwater landscapes of the National Park through photography.