Biennale de Venise

The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation has given its backing to Sophie Calle’s latest exhibition, Prenez Soin de Vous (Take Care of Yourself), which has been selected for inclusion in the French Pavilion at the Venice Biennale from 10 June to 21 November 2007. Using an episode from her personal life – a relationship ended by email – as the starting point for this often humorous work of art, Calle asked 107 women, chosen according to their line of work – some famous, some not – to interpret the message in their professional capacity.

Dedicated to putting art, and creativity more generally, at the service of education and health, the Jean-Luc Lagardere Foundation was keen to establish a link between this arts event and the Maison de Solenn in Paris. Unique in Europe, this drop-in centre for teenagers experiencing difficulties is organizing an exhibition that explores emotional education and the different stages of our love lives. Scheduled to open in November 2007, the show – entitled Histoires d’Amours (Love Stories) – will feature works by artists and enable college students and teenagers in hospital to exhibit their work, which include declarations of love, extracts from secret diaries, and visual art.

As part of this original partnership, several teenagers will travel to Venice to explore the Prenez Soin de Vous exhibition for themselves. Keen to support the project, Sophie Calle will visit the Maison de Solenn to share her experiences with the teenagers. This project provides the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation with another opportunity to combine creativity with its support for the community.

About the Foundation:
The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation promotes creativity, excellence and solidarity in the fields of culture, research and sport. It helps French artists working abroad, supports social initiatives led by high-level sporting professionals and opens up new channels for the production, transformation and transmission of knowledge in the digital age.
Every year, the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation also awards “Talent Grants” to young artists, writers and designers active in the culture and media sectors. This year, the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation has created two new grants for makers of animated films and documentaries, thereby widening its scope to cover the entire range of audiovisual activities. Providing €255,000 in donations, the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation is the leading sponsor of young French creative artists.