An original concept
A nocturnal rendezvous devoted to the performing arts, the Nomadic Nights were initiated in 1994.
The originality of this concept lies in the fact that these evenings take place in the exhibition space
itself: envisaged as a veritable testing ground, they invite artists to create links between the visual arts
and other contemporary forms of creative expression.
Over 500 projects have been programmed as part of the Nomadic Nights, some of which occurred
off-site, particularly as part of the contemporary art festival Le Printemps de Septembre in Toulouse.
The reputation of these evenings has traveled far and wide and the idea has taken root and is
flourishing in other cultural institutions, both in France and abroad.
Music
The Fondation Cartier has always remained alert to music and it was responsible for reuniting the
mythical group, The Velvet Underground, for an evening performance back in 1990. In the same
vein, the Nomadic Nights have always assigned an important place to music in its program planning.
Since 1994, it has organized almost 220 concerts, which, ranging from improvisation to contemporary
styles, share one common feature: the desire to extend understanding of both fundamental and innovative
forms currently featuring on the contemporary musical scene.
With this aim in mind, the Nomadic Nights bill young artists at the forefront of new musical trends
alongside the biggest names in music, including Dominique A, Pascal Comelade, Patti Smith, Suicide,
Gonzales, Chicks on Speed, Pierre Henry, George Aperghis, Heavy Trash, The Battles, Matthew
Herbert, Matmos, Bernard Lubat, Louis Sclavis, Mathieu Boogaerts, Philippe Katerine, Fred Frith
and Pan Sonic to name but a few.
Performance Arts
Performers, choreographers, video-makers and writers have all taken part in the Nomadic Nights. All
genres of contemporary creation are represented: literature by John Giorno and Bernard Heidsieck,
dance by Boris Charmatz and William Forsythe, theatre and performance by the Deschiens and
Grand Magasin, the visual arts by Sophie Calle and Rebecca Horn, design by Ingo Maurer and Matali
Crasset, and fashion by Gaspard Yurkievitch and Maurizio Galante. A series of movie projections
features experimental films (such as Orson Welles´s unfinished Don Quixote), art house films (Chris
Marker) or the latest trends in Japanese animation.
Thematic evenings
In 1999, a new ingredient was added to the Nomadic Nights in the form of a first cycle of thematic
evenings: Food Lab was a reflection on the relationship between art and gastronomy, which was met
with considerable success. The next year, a second series entitled Physical Cultures, devoted to art and sport,
brought a number of international young artists together to show their playful and off-beat projects.
In 2003, Odorama gave pride of place to perfume, inviting artists, architects, choreographers, chefs
and magicians to create unusual olfactory projects. In 2006, the cycle Black Nights was devoted to Afro-
American culture and a particularly warm welcome was reserved for Archie Shepp and the ESG
group.
en / Since 1984 / Nomadic Nights
