The MIAM, International Museum of Modest Arts, was inaugurated in November 2000. The result of an artistic project born from the meeting between Hervé Di Rosa, a renowned contemporary artist, and Bernard Belluc, a “collector-artist,” it is housed in a former wine cellar redesigned by architect Patrick Bouchain.
The MIAM is a laboratory open to artists of all generations and backgrounds. It showcases marginal or peripheral creations and promotes links between high culture and popular culture. It can also be defined as a place for debate and dialogue, “strongly committed to issues of artistic decompartmentalization and cultural diversity, and often focused on the study of social phenomena that give rise to new artistic expressions.”
MIAM houses the collections of its two founders. This collection consists of thousands of objects emblematic of modest art—beloved and collected items, both manufactured and handcrafted. These are primarily toys, figurines, gadgets, and all manner of “knick-knacks.”
The MIAM's inner courtyard is home to “Le jardin des plantes modestes” (The Garden of Modest Plants) created by artist-botanist Liliana Motta, a garden that tells the story of plants that are generally considered “weeds,” more troublesome than useful...
MIAM also hosts “La petite épicerie” (The Little Grocery Store), created in 2010, which serves as the educational department of the International Museum of Modest Arts in Sète. It was designed and created by the Municipal School of Fine Arts and is open to everyone, young and old, throughout the year, making the museum an open and lively place.
The artistic workshops are run by Vanessa Notley, Sylvette Ardoino, and Claire Giordano, teachers at the School of Fine Arts, with guest artists. The service offers artistic workshops on Wednesdays, weekends, and during the holidays. The workshops are designed according to the ages of the children.
An already rich and recognized history
Since 2000, the museum has presented the works of more than 1,000 artists of all generations, origins, and practices. MIAM exhibitions have often been at the forefront of promoting marginal or innovative artistic movements.
Twenty-six years after its creation, MIAM has gained an international reputation and continues to challenge the boundaries of contemporary art.
MIAM has presented more than fifty exhibitions (both on-site and off-site), exploring artistic expressions and scenes that had previously received little or no attention.
Over time, MIAM has built partnerships with other public and private cultural institutions, such as MoMA in New York, MAAT in Lisbon, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris, the Musée d’Art moderne Lille-Métropole, the Friche La Belle de Mai in Marseille, the Maison Rouge in Paris, and the Collection d’Art Brut in Lausanne—collaborations that help broaden the audience for Modest Art and enrich its scope.
M.I.A.M. International Museum of Modest Arts
23, quai du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny,
34200 Sète
Tel.: +33 (0)4 99 04 76 44
http://www.miam.org/
