"I discovered Art Brut in the early 1980s while visiting the Jean Dubuffet collection in Lausanne. I remember immediately feeling a deep fascination for these artists, most of whom were unaware they were creating a body of work and ignorant of art history. This decisive encounter allowed me to enter the world of art through a small door—one that required no specific codes or knowledge to pass through. These works welcomed me just as I was: a simple lover of shapes and colors, fascinated by creation.
At the same time, the so-called 'primitive arts,' also untouched by classical Western culture, strongly attracted me—to the point that I became a collector. I contrasted these popular expressions with contemporary art, which seemed elitist and incomprehensible to me. Eventually, I came to appreciate contemporary art with great interest.
Starting in 2004, la maison rouge became an ideal space to put my desire for breaking boundaries into practice. Its thematic (e.g., Inextricabilia, L’envol ou le rêve de voler...) or cross-disciplinary exhibitions (The Inspired, Elmar Trenkwalder and Augustin Lesage, Arnulf Rainer and his collection of Art Brut...) became defining features of the venue. On our walls, a young artist’s neon piece could hang right next to a painting by August Walla.
Philippe Dereux, whose vegetal assemblages I exhibited many times, offered an excellent definition of Art Brut: 'From the day I learned about it, I could no longer be a part of it.'
Antoine de Galbert, July 2025"
