Foundation of Doubt

Imagined by the artist Ben Vautier and held by the City of Blois, the Fondation du doute [Doubt Foundation] is an atypical place dedicated to contemporary art which has offered since 2013 a permanent exhibition on 1,500 m² devoted to Fluxus, a 20th century major international movement, temporary exhibitions as well as a rich and plural programme of events dedicated to today’s creation.

The permanent display is the only one in France and one of the most important in Europe dedicated to Fluxus. It displays on nearly 1,000 m² a set of 350 works and documents by almost 50 artists (Joseph Beuys, Robert Filliou, George Maciunas, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, Daniel Spoerri, Ben Vautier, Wolf Vostell…) drawn from the collections of Ben Vautier, The Fondazione Mudima founded by Gino Di Maggio as well as Caterina Gualco. The exhibition route is regularly expanded with works and documents temporarily presented in dialogue with collections as part of the “Interludes” programme.

The Fondation du doute regularly proposes exhibitions devoted to one or several contemporary artists whose work challenges and questions the mechanisms of our society and our daily lives as well as the limits of art. Throughout the year, it organises a wide range of multidisciplinary events (performances, talks, roundtables, concerts) which propose dialogues between the arts, cultures and societies.

Discover the work of Ben Vautier (1935-2024), one of the most important contemporary French artists of his generation, through the Wall of Words (1995): displayed across the entire entrance façade, this monumental installation brings together more than 300 of the artist’s most famous writing-paintings. You can also enjoy The Fluxus café, an environment imbued with Ben’s spirit, a friendly place for gathering and relaxation, programming and discussion.