The story of a French château saved by an American entrepreneur and artist 📖
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- Опубликовано: 6 май 2023
- 🏰🎨 In a small French village named Orquevaux, Ziggy Attias is trying to save the castle inherited from his parents in 2016. In a deplorable state, the American entrepreneur and artist has found a unique formula allowing him to finance the necessary work for the preservation of the castle, and more. Supported by Australian artist and gallery owner Beulah Van Rensburg, this duo achieved the impossible by transforming the estate and its village into an artist's paradise.
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Link to the Artist Residence :
www.chateauorquevaux.com
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Don’t forget to follow our project on Facebook and Instagram !
💻 - chateauroute
📱 - chateauroute
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Many thanks to Ziggy and Beulah, all the staff, Rémy, Marie, Romain, Lydia, Lara, Quentin, Lorine et Constance,
And the artist who were here during our stay, making this project possible and accepted to be photographed : Anton Helmick, Jennifer Nelson, Fiona Watson, Michelle Guitard, Natalie Sierra, Lauren Feidner, Allison Beda, Elka Gould, Tiana Clark, Elefteria Vlavianos, Leigh Sutherlin (www.leighannesutherlin.com), Carnina Barajas, Otto Hernandez, Sarah Hempell Arani, Trace Johnson, Maura Bennett, Stephanie Danforth, Maude May, Jean-Paul Langlois, Harry Weil and Sadie Chandler. You are the best !
I was a resident artist there in March, and staying, working, creating, eating and experiencing life in Orquevaux at the Chateau was one of the best experiences of my life. Ziggy and Beulah have created a place of creative and historic significance with a very bright future.
Wow thank you for this comment and testimony, what an incredible place indeed. We love Orquevaux !
This is such a providential match. As a classical-inspired composer, I have been discussing just these kinds of ideas lately, and now I just discovered this video and get encouraged to see it is being done.
I believe an additional stream of income can be too make high quality video tours of the art being made there, and then help the artists getting more work sold which will again help them to stay longer which again will help them develop even further while sustaining the château.
Lots of other ideas come to mind… what a bright future I see for the castles of France 🇫🇷: They will play a key role in the classical revival and recovery of beauty of art, music and architecture in a holistic way in the modernist polluted West.
As a former resident I look back on the experience fondly and I would never have done anything different with my time and money. Like what is mentioned in the comments it's a great way to keep the history alive and restore this gem, as well as giving back to the community by supporting artists and the village that surrounds it.
WHAT A FANTASTIC CONCEPT AND I HOPE AND PRAY FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS ENDEAVOR! JUST AMAZING!
We love that, thanks !
There are so many 19 th century chateaux and buildings empty and in need of total restoration and sadly they are not as popular as the older ones. The plus side of this period is that the construction is very solid and lends itself more easily to renovation. I have seen so many beautiful small chateaux where despite being roofless of floorless have incredible solid walls, a pity more people do not choose to take them on. I follow Dan Preston (YT Escape to Rural France ) who is currently restoring a burn out 19 th century small charming chateaux and intends to restoreee it to it's initial glory and now the 1970's inner version that burnt. He is already doing an incredible job and almost single handedly.
Dan Preston is creating miracles on the daily. Very impressive.
You are right. 19th century is underrated, but looking at latest studies, more and more researchers give interest to it (A friend wrote his thesis last year about neo-gothic chapels in Belgium). What is your favorite era/style of architecture ?
This is an absolutely brilliant idea! Great work!
I was lucky enough to be part of the very first residency that Ziggy offered - it is indeed a magical place - somewhere I will never forget🥰
We agree with you, it's an unforgettable experience to be there. Have you ever seen other places like this one ?
I love this concept -its a brilliant idea and can help save other magnificent chateaux from disappearing and ruin. What artist wouldn’t want to stay and create in such stunning settings and historical places?!
This is a brilliant and unique model developed that we are so happy to share with you. Do you think of another place that could host such activities ?
Merci le concept est génial!
Merci pour votre commentaire ! Ces propriétaires sont inspirants n’est-ce pas ?
It's a good working model for the repurposing of this type of property and maintaining the architectural and artistic character. I am aware of several other chateau properties doing similar work. Cheers-
Really ? please give us some adresses we love to share this kind of places...
@@chateauroute Chateau Boirie near Angouleme, Chateau de Puy Vidal near Angouleme, and Chateau de Sibra near Mirepoix
This sounds like a magnificent idea!
It is ! The managing team is genius. Do you think this model can be upgraded to something bigger ?
Chateau Orquevaux is an artist’s dream come true. Your thoughtful video gives viewers a glimpse of the memorable 4 weeks I, and 19 other artists, spent creating work, learning about each other’s practices, eating delicious foods and basking in the generous hospitality afforded to us by Ziggy, Beulah and their hard working staff. It was a pleasure to meet you both and thank you for sharing your enthusiasm about Orquevaux.
Thank you so much Maude for this message. We loved to see and meet you all on this incredible place. We can't wait to reunite again to inaugurate our own château !
What a beautiful idea. I need to add the village to my next visit to France.
It definitely worth the detour, the landscapes around are amazing and very unique. When is your next trip in France ?
Thank you for a look into this fresh approach to save a château! It makes me wish I was an artist so I could visit.
Chuck
Never too late...! Hopefully, they will open galleries for visitors all around the village soon. Isn't it an opportunity to come ?
I cannot wait to go for my residency in a few weeks!
Two more chateaus to feature- Chateau de la Grifferaie, they have a YT channel and host students in a study abroad, and Billy Pethrick, not currently renovating a chateau, but an abandoned convent--both outstanding channels with interesting concepts.
I wonder if this is the same artist residence chateau that chooses artists by lottery. The concept is lovely, and no doubt the experience for those artists who attend is memorable, and a life-time experience. I would like to see...actually SEE... the owner and his consort engaged in restoration work, similar to the owners of Chateau de Purnon. Perhaps offering two types of artist residency: one where the artist only focuses on their own creativity, one where artists can help fund their experience by engaging in work on the chateau and grounds, and additionally, one that invites specific crafts-people who are apprenticing to become, say, carpenters, masons, garden designers, interior decorators, etc. This would open and broaden the opportunity to more people, move the restoration forward, and engage a broader swath of people to discover this lovely piece of history.
Those are great ideas, thanks. I think Beulah and Ziggy are open to all proposition if it goes in the direction of the restoration of heritage and for the creative world. Artist are not chosen by lottery but carefully selected, and so groups can live together in perfect harmony. Some of the artists are members of the staff and help the château for a longer period, are you an artist yourself ?
@@chateauroute I suppose I am considered an artist. Painting, carpentry, bespoke framing, garden design...I like working with three dimensional projects, even vehicles.
@@Basai7 you should contact the château ;)
It’s a brilliant idea and blesses everyone involved!!!
Thank you for your kind comment :)
This is very similar to what id like to do. I think it's ideas like this that will be needed to save the more recently built châteaux. Its frustrating how difficult France makes it to DO it, but i think worth it.
As french people, we are pretty sure that everything is possible with the right point of view and communication, we also look for a chateau to create innovative models in order to save it. Please follow us, maybe we’ll work together in the future !
You should talk to Thaig Khris who is restoring the château de Cahaignes, one of the most beautiful castles in France.
Why not ! Do you have its contact ? We know a little bit about it's château but if you have information about what it's going to be... let us know :)
@@chateauroute He is doing a complete restauration. I think it will be his home, but maybe also hotel. It was very famous (unfortunately) for being château des singes and thus has been vandalised (the monkey paintings cut out with a cutter, stone staircase chipped, wood panneling stolen, columns stolen, marble damaged, ...)
👏👏👏
I'm glad the building has been preserved, although someone made an unfortunate choice with that huge roof window - it detracts from the beauty of the building.
From the interior it looks nice, of course the exterior aesthetic is discutable... We asked the owner about it and he wants to change it to something more architecturally integrated. However, which architect can be chosen ? It's a tricky question...
I wonder how the people of the village feel about having their town revolve around artists, most likely foreign. It could be a beautiful symbolic relationship, if that is what the villagers what exist amongst.🤷♀️
We asked !! And they seems very happy to see a new dynamic in this almost dead village. Young people are attracted there, and employment provided by the château is more than welcomed ! Most of the people working there are locals... What do you think of such a change in a rural place initially in decay ?
@@chateauroute why are you yelling??? I just asked a question.
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Heyy Natalie !!!
The integrated economical model, what is it? The galleries connected are showrooms but dont sell. There's revenue to the village due to visitors, but no subsidies for the chateau, so how does it pay for itself? The artisys themselves pay for their residencies?
Correct, the artists finance themselves the residency
@harviebrydon. I was in residency July 2022 at Chateau D'Orquevaux. I met several artists, writers, and performers, that I am still in touch with. Ziggy , Beulah and staff provide an environment that allows artists to play, discover, invent, reinvent, share, encourage, adapt, and be free. The quiet village is itself a gem. It is tranquil and pretty. What Ziggy and Beulah are building is a place where artists have an opportunity to grow and flourish.
....absolutely great...by the way, pls investigate how you can make use of the water escalation....there are systems on the market with which you can make (free) electricity using its gravity...
Oh yeah, using turbines or something line that, it can be something to investigate in for sure, we are into those thoughts 💭