Museum in Bordeaux: the CAPC inaugurates the Cool Kids Space, “a space for children and an artistic work” to recreate yourself

The Museum of Contemporary Art is inaugurating a new "permanent gallery" for children, the Cool Kids Space, on Saturday, September 20, as part of Heritage Days. The space, created by the team and artist Mathis Collins, is an immersive and interactive "Terrain vague" designed to inspire play, creativity, and imagination.

This isn't the first time the Bordeaux Museum of Contemporary Art (CAPC) has reached out to children. The venue already had its own "CAPC Kids" program, with tours, workshops, and adapted booklets. "We've expanded our offerings for children since Covid," recalls Sandra Patron, the venue's director. "Three years ago, we launched the Cool Kids Club, a festival combining workshops with collections. 11,000 visitors at the last edition: we were overwhelmed." With their heads above water, the idea for this Cool Kids Place was born, "a permanent gallery dedicated to children aged 2 to 11 and their families," which will be inaugurated this Saturday, September 20.

The project stands out for its scale—almost a wing of the building, on the second floor of the Laîné warehouse—and its spirit. “It’s both a space for children and a work produced by an artist,” summarizes Sandra Patron. “We don’t know many museums that do this, apart from Beaubourg.”

More than just a playground, the square is intended to be interactive and evolving. "A different artist will be periodically invited to reinvent the space." For this first, the choice fell on Mathis Collins, who had already collaborated on the "Barbe à Papa" exhibition in 2022. The universe and experience of this 39-year-old French-Canadian living in Paris were a good fit for the project.

"I've been working for ten years with audiences far removed from official culture," says the artist, who believes that "children have their own culture" and that the main challenge is to captivate them: "They mustn't get bored, that's extremely important." The specifications were intended to be as open as possible: "The rules have to be invented."

“Children must not get bored, it’s extremely important.”

The tour begins with the reception area, a cozy yellow lounge designed by the CAPC team, set designer Virginie Linxe, and illustrated by Thibault Mahieux. "They had the great idea of ​​starting with a slide." It leads to the "Terrain vague," a work and space brought to life by a story, in which each visitor will participate. There, we find Otto and other characters, whose story (written by Pascaline Morincôme) is told through five giant books.

There, you'll find a fence, a rainbow, and a "shared garden" dedicated to toddlers, equipped with wooden toys and musical instruments. A "guinguette" where children can play together, encouraged to "design their own menu." A work table, a support for creative workshops (posters, masks). In another room, the "ruin" provides hundreds of foam blocks, so they can create their own architecture. "They can also throw them at each other's heads. Why not?" A "passe-boules" game, taken from the Foire aux plaisirs (Pleasure Fair), completes the offerings.

The aesthetic is inspired by vintage 1920s American cartoons, "with touches of manga," and posters that inspired the artist. He describes it as "a kind of small museum of children's art," but has ensured that the space remains airy, to allow room for the guests' creativity.

"Many things are designed to appeal to adults as well," assures Mathis Collins. Because yes, they must be present on site. "It's not a daycare," reminds Sandra Patron. "The idea is for the family to share, for everyone to get something out of it."

The project is designed for individual and family visitors, but also for community centers and schools, with a view to "decompartmentalizing" audiences as much as possible and attracting new audiences.

Opening this Saturday, September 20, as part of Heritage Days. Free. www.capc-bordeaux.fr