PRESENTATION

The A Summer in Le Havre adventure began in 2017 to mark the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the city and port. This grandiose anniversary, celebrated over several months, welcomed more than two million visitors.

The event had a resounding impact on the region: the artistic spirit won over the inhabitants, traders, students and, of course, the simply curious, who discovered this seaside destination with its unique charm. Widely acclaimed, A Summer in Le Havre has become a recurring event. As such, in Le Havre, the summer season is the time for an ambitious rendez-vous with art, heritage and culture, revitalised each year by new works of contemporary art that A Summer in Le Havre places in the public space from the end of June to mid-September.

Over the course of the various editions, a permanent collection has been built up, which is further expanded each summer, gradually transforming the city into an open-air contemporary art exhibition, accessible to all. Great artists of international renown have left their mark... So much so that over 6 editions, some of these works are now inseparable from the identity of Le Havre in the collective imagination: UP#3, Catène de Containers...

…Stephan Balkenhol,Emma Biggs,Pierre Delavie, Lorène Dengoyan,Evor, Vincent Ganivet,Jace, Mark Jenkins,Izumi Kato, Laura Kopf, Klara Kristalova,Lang/Baumann, Henrique Oliveira, Stéphane Thidet, Erwin Wurm...

Thanks to this artistic intervention in the public space by artists, the view that some had of the city has changed. Le Havre attracts and appeals to a large audience, who come to enjoy A Summer in Le Havre and marvel at the seaside, festive, cultural, architectural and sporting character of this often overlooked destination.

Each artist brings their own vision to reveal the singularity and unique character of the city.

Gaël Charbau takes over from Jean Blaise as artistic director for the 2023 to 2026 seasons.