To mark the forthcoming opening of ‘Piverdière 2’, which brings together the performance centre, the administrative headquarters and the Academy, Stade Rennais F.C. is hosting the monumental work *Drei Ganz Große Geister* [Three Very Great Spirits], created between 1998 and 2004 by the German artist Thomas Schütte, comprising three bronze figures from the Pinault Collection.
This group, which stands in the inner courtyard designed by NeM Architectes, depicts three figures in the process of being formed. With their irregular, undefined physiques and their dancing postures, they evoke youth and the development of bodies and minds still in the making, whose strength and potential are already evident. The visible traces of the modelling serve as a reminder that nothing is set in stone; sculpture, like a sporting career, is built up step by step. These monumental figures thus give spectacular form to a crucial moment: that of growing up, learning, and gradually coming into one’s own.
The installation of these three sculptures bears witness to François Pinault’s commitment to fostering a dialogue between contemporary art and places of life, creation and knowledge-sharing. Just like La Piverdière, where commitment, the passing on of knowledge and the pursuit of excellence are nurtured on a daily basis.
About Thomas Schütte
Born in 1954 in Oldenburg (Germany), Thomas Schütte is one of the leading figures in contemporary sculpture. His work, which combines sculpture, drawing, printmaking and ceramics, has been exhibited for over forty years in the world’s leading international institutions. Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2005, his work is held in numerous public and private collections around the world.
About the Pinault Collection
Built up over more than fifty years by François Pinault, the Pinault Collection brings together a major body of modern and contemporary art. Through its museums in Paris and Venice, its loans and its partnerships with leading international museums, the Pinault Collection works to make contemporary art accessible to as many people as possible and to foster encounters between artworks, artists and all audiences.
About NeM
The architectural practice NeM / Niney et Marca Architectes was founded in 2008 by Lucie Niney and Thibault Marca, graduates of the École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Paris-La Villette. The practice develops an approach that is attentive to the challenges of the ecological transition, new ways of living, the adaptation of existing buildings and cultural programmes, in the service of an architecture that is poetic, understated and innovative. With a particular focus on exploring new uses for buildings, NeM has made a name for itself through the design of innovative and sustainable buildings.
