Fondation Vasarely

About the museum

Victor Vasarely conceived the foundation as an architectural center, a place to show both his works and his ideas on integrating art into architecture. The project dates from 1966; the artist chose Aix-en-Provence in 1971, and the city offered him a plot of land. The building was designed by the architects Jean Sonnier and Dominique Ronsseray and inaugurated on February 14, 1976.

It consists of sixteen hexagonal cells, 14 meters wide and 11 meters high, assembled from prefabricated concrete elements. Its blank facade is made of alternating black and white panels. Seven rooms, called alvéoles, house Vasarely’s monumental integrations: works conceived for the space in which they are shown.

Water seepage threatened the works, so the center has been under restoration since 2010. The building is listed as a historic monument. The foundation runs an annual program of exhibitions and events, open to digital art, performance and research. For the site’s 50th anniversary, an exhibition was presented together with the Centre Pompidou.

Highlights

• Sixteen hexagonal cells designed by Victor Vasarely
• Monumental works integrated into the architecture
• Listed as a historic monument, inaugurated in 1976
• Exhibitions on optical and kinetic art
• Three-hectare park with views of the Sainte-Victoire

Permanent exhibition

• Les intégrations monumentales de Victor Vasarely – Monumental works designed for the hexagonal cells of the architectural center.

Founded

1976

Operated by

Fondation Vasarely

Visitors per year

approx. 40,000

Admission & discounts

Free admission for journalists. Reduced rate for students of Aix-Marseille University and holders of the City-Pass Aix-en-Provence. Online tickets cost €1 more from January 1. Pass Éducation, e-Pass Jeunes de la région, Pass Culture, Edenred cards and chèques-vacances accepted. A single ticket gives access to the permanent collection and exhibitions.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Elevator (ask at reception for assistance). Strollers and wheelchairs can access all spaces. Two step-free entrances: a ramp from the sidewalk at the Vasarely bus stop up to the forecourt, and a second entrance near the car park, with intercom. Small pets are admitted if carried or in a suitable cage.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Kids’ birthday parties

Baby Art workshop for children aged 18 to 36 months accompanied by an adult (Wednesdays, 45 minutes, €15 for one child and one adult); workshops for children year-round and birthday parties with a visit and workshop from age 4 (1 hour 30 minutes, €140).

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Upstairs café with drinks vending machine; picnicking permitted in the park. Online shop selling screen prints.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Seven cells of 170 m² each, a 244 m² conference room, a 163 m² meeting room, Vasarely’s 80 m² office, café and patio, plus three hectares of gardens. Lectures, seminars, cocktail receptions, gala dinners and events.

Plan your visit