La Fondation du doute
Contemporary art venue in Blois, conceived by Ben, with one of the largest permanent Fluxus displays in Europe.
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About the museum
La Fondation du doute opened in Blois in 2013 on the initiative of the artist Ben Vautier. It succeeded the Musée de l’Objet, which had been showing works from Éric Fabre’s personal collection since 1996. The site covers about 1,500 m² and combines a permanent Fluxus display, temporary exhibitions and a regular programme of talks on today’s art.
Visitors enter through the Cour du doute on Rue de la Paix, passing the Mur des mots: a façade covered with nearly 300 of Ben’s “tableaux-écritures” (word paintings), created as a public commission in 1995. The Café Le Fluxus on the ground floor was conceived by Ben as an artwork and serves as a meeting place and venue for artistic programming. A glass pavilion of about 210 m², in the courtyard of the 19th-century cloister, hosts exhibitions, lectures and concerts.
The permanent display covers nearly 1,000 m² and brings together about 350 works and documents by some fifty artists, drawn from the collections of Ben Vautier, Gino Di Maggio, the Fondazione Mudima and Caterina Gualco. Reorganised in 2022 around the writings of Dick Higgins, it is structured into eleven themes. The Foundation is run by the City of Blois.
Highlights
- Permanent Fluxus display: about 350 works by 50 artists
- Works by Joseph Beuys, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik and George Maciunas
- Mur des mots: nearly 300 word paintings by Ben
- Café Le Fluxus, conceived by Ben as an artwork
- Glass pavilion for temporary exhibitions
- Workshop tour “Jeux Fluxus et œuvres à jouer” for families
Permanent exhibitions
- Parcours permanent Fluxus – About 350 works and documents by around fifty artists (Beuys, Ono, Paik, Maciunas, Spoerri, Vostell), arranged in eleven themes.
- Le Mur des mots – A façade of nearly 300 word paintings by Ben, from a 1995 public commission, which visitors walk through to enter.
- Founded
- 2013
- Operated by
- Ville de Blois
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5.50Students, teachers, job seekers, recipients of minimum social benefits, large families, and one companion of a holder of the Pass Blois Culture or the Carte Privilèges (proof required) |
| Children & teens | €3.50free up to age 5 · Youth rate for ages 6 to 17; free for children under 6. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free for the visitor with a disability and one companion. |
| Students & apprentices | €5.50Reduced rate with proof; free for students of art, culture or education in the Centre-Val de Loire region. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €5.50 per personBy reservation: €5.50 per person for groups of 10 to 15 people, €4 per person from the 16th person. Some groups (schools, social organisations) receive special rates or free entry; a guided tour fee is extra, usually €30 to €60. |
| Combined ticket with the Château royal de Blois or the Maison de la Magie | €18.50Reduced rate: €14.50; ages 6–17: €9.50. Sold on site, at the first site visited. |
| Combined ticket with the Château royal and the Maison de la Magie | €27.50Reduced rate: €21.50; ages 6–17: €15.50. |
| Combined ticket with the Château royal, the Maison de la Magie and the Son et Lumière show | €38Reduced rate: €32; ages 6–17: €22. |
Free admission: European Museum Night (Nuit européenne des musées) and European Heritage Days
Free entry also for education, culture and social work professionals working on a project with the Foundation, and for holders of the Pass Blois Culture or the Carte Privilèges. The exhibition pavilion is free to enter.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The venue is accessible to people with reduced mobility and has a lift.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
Workshop tour “Jeux Fluxus et œuvres à jouer” for families during the All Saints’ school holidays (Toussaint). Free entry for children under 6.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gare de Blois-Chambord
By train: Blois-Chambord station (Paris-Austerlitz – Orléans – Tours line).
Public entrance at 14 Rue de la Paix; the administration is at 6 Rue Franciade. By car: A10, exit Blois, or A85, exit Romorantin, then RD76.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Café Le Fluxus on the ground floor, designed by Ben (open Wednesdays, 14:00–18:30). Shop on site. Bags larger than 50 × 35 × 38 cm are not accepted.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours for adult groups and school groups (Fluxschool educational programme), by reservation. |
