Désir de forêt

Yes, another art exhibition in a remote spot. Villar-en-Val this time, birthplace of poet Joseph Delteil. Although it has a tiny population (probably 30 or so), a small committee has organised art and music events since the mid-90s. Somehow they managed to attract big names ... I remember sitting on a blanket in a field after dark in 2002, for a concert by French icon Georges Moustaki, who wrote songs for Piaf, Yves Montand, and Juliette Greco, among others. 

This year they are collaborating with the modern art museum in Toulouse, L'Abbatoir, for an exhibition in the very tiny Mairie. It's called Désir de Forêt, so the small selection of works (sculptures, painting, photos) all feature trees or plants in various forms. I thought it was lovely and perfectly formed, particularly enjoying the fact that the windows joined in. Another view in extras, featuring my favourite work, a painting of the local woods. This also shows the size of the room.  Second extra: one for my door collection.

As part of the event there was a performance of some of Bach's cello suites in a field a couple of kilometres out of the village. Unfortunately the local paper had misinformed me about the time, so instead of arriving half an hour early, I was half an hour late and missed it. Still, it was a nice trip out, albeit an hour's round trip in a temperature of 31C in a car with no air conditioning. 

Now I'm enjoying a long drink of Kina-karo on ice with tonic and a slice. I've got quite keen on this as an aperitif. As the village social club has been playing ghastly pop music on a sound system outside the window for six hours and counting, I now have Spotify on and my earphones in!