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Biography

Chief architect for civic buildings and national palaces, Alain Bourbonnais (1925 – 1988) won several public competitions between the end of the fifties and the beginning of the 1980. For years, he practiced painting and engraving, and from 1970 to his Turbulents, and at the same time, collecting "hors-les-normes" art works.

In 1973, the critic André Laude commented on the polyactivity of Alain Bourbonnais as follows: ”For a long time now, Bourbonnais has been pretending, for a few hours a week , to be there, in his large architect's offices on rue Bonaparte in Paris. As serious as a judge, he draws up plans, uses highly technical words, and listens to the songs of of the shovels and bulldozers. But every week-end, a few miles away, he gets back to his kingdom. There, in this Capernaum, this caravanserai, reigns a sparkling bric-a-brac."

Among the many facets of Alain Bourbonnais, the fuzziest one was that of the creator. It is however essential. As a counterpoint to his hectic life as an architect, creating led him to collect the works of other "hors-les-normes" artists. Gradually his activity as a collector will take precedence over his profession as an architect.

Chronology

1925  Born in Ainay-le-Château (Allier)  on 22 th June

1954  Graduated in architecture from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris

1955  Marriage with Caroline. Birth of their daughter Sophie, on 6 th April, Alain Bourbonnais creates theater sets until 1965

1957  Birth of their second daughter Agnès, on 5 th September

1963  Creates the theaters of Caen and Luxembourg

1965  Creates the church Stella Matutina in Saint-Cloud.

1968  Appointed chief architect of civil buildings and national palaces

1969  Inauguration of the first RER station:  Nation

1970 Begins the creation of his Turbulents

1971  Meeting with Jean Dubuffet

1972  Opening of the Atelier Jacob, an "art hors-les-normes" gallery in Paris

1974  Exhibition of his Turbulents at the Palais Saint-Pierre, Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon

1975  Reconstruction of the district of Ilot du Pont and the Library in Auxerre

1976  Creates the park of Tremblay in Champigny-sur-Marnee

1980  Creates his Briculages

1982  Closing of the Atelier Jacob

1983  Opening to the public of the museum of La Fabuloserie in Dicy (Yonne)

1988  Death in Sens (Yonne) on 21 th June, his wife Caroline Bourbonnais takes over the management of La Fabuloserie

2014  Death of Caroline Bourbonnais. Sophie and Agnès continue the adventure of the family museum.

Architect
Creator
Collector

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Translation


La Fabuloserie / Mentions Légales