Twenty years ago, Galleria Continua made a bold and visionary choice. In the heart of the former paper mill of Boissy-le-Châtel, in Seine-et-Marne, founders Mario Cristiani, Lorenzo Fiaschi and Maurizio Rigillo transformed industrial buildings into a place where contemporary art could engage in a meaningful dialogue with history, architecture and landscape. What began as an ambitious experiment has grown into Les Moulins, a unique cultural destination spanning 40,000 square metres, where exhibitions, artistic production, education and community life coexist in a spirit of openness and discovery.
To celebrate this milestone anniversary, Galleria Continua / Les Moulins presents a major collective exhibition bringing together more than fifty artists and the many voices that have helped shape the identity of the site over the past two decades. Rather than offering a simple retrospective, the exhibition embraces memories, encounters, and personal stories shared by artists, collectors, writers, journalists, families, and long-time supporters. Their reflections form a rich and emotional portrait of a place that has always been defined as much by its visitors as by the artworks it presents.
The exhibition features both historic works and new site-specific productions, highlighting the continuous evolution that has characterized Les Moulins since its inception. Visitors will encounter significant works by renowned artists including Michelangelo Pistoletto, Sislej Xhafa, Zhanna Kadyrova, Leandro Erlich, and Daniel Buren. From Pistoletto’s immersive labyrinth exploring perception and self-reflection to Erlich’s virtual reality environment that challenges our understanding of space and reality, the exhibition invites audiences to engage with art as an experience rather than simply an object of observation.
A particular highlight is the exclusive presentation of Daniel Buren’s “Comme un jeu d’enfant, travaux in situ, 2014/2026”, an immersive installation specially adapted for Les Moulins. Composed of monumental geometric forms inspired by children’s construction games, the work transforms the exhibition space into a vibrant landscape of colour, movement and discovery, inviting visitors to explore it freely and experience the site in new ways.
At the same time, the anniversary serves as a reminder of the broader mission that has guided Les Moulins from the beginning. Through pioneering educational initiatives such as Continu’Actions, countless children have discovered contemporary art for the first time. The development of spaces such as the Moulin de Sainte-Marie and Art & Future further reflects the institution’s commitment to fostering dialogue between artistic creation, innovation and social imagination. Over the years, Les Moulins has become not only a place for exhibiting art but also a laboratory for ideas and a meeting point for diverse communities.
Twenty years after its founding, Les Moulins continues to embody a rare combination of ambition, generosity and curiosity. This anniversary exhibition is both a celebration of the past and a statement of confidence in the future. More than a commemoration, it is an invitation to experience a place where art, people, and ideas remain in constant movement, proving that the most meaningful cultural spaces are never finished, but always becoming.
More information HERE.
