I learned about the Collection Lambert quite some time ago inside one of my favorite books, The Independent Collector’s Guide to Private Art Collections, a complete listing of private art collections you can visit all around the world. This particular collection is unique in that it was created beginning with the works of celebrated French art dealer, Yvon Lambert.

In 2012, Lambert’s personal collection was formally donated to the state of France, and now the Collection Lambert functions as a publicly accessible museum, with rotating exhibitions supporting the original collection.

On a sunny Tuesday morning, I headed over to the collection located in downtown Avignon, not far from the city’s train station. Outside the museum, you’ll notice the worlds “Silence” and “In the Museum” painted onto the exterior wall.

Two large doors swing open to let visitors into the beautiful courtyard, where 68 colorful plexiglass columns hang, a work called Heaven, 2010, by Polish artist Miroslaw Balka. The plexiglass columns twist and twirl in the gentle breeze, and shimmer when the sun hits them.

Collection Lambert Miroslaw Balka
Collection Lambert Miroslaw Balka
Collection Lambert Courtyard

Walking into the lobby is a beautiful iron staircase that leads up to the main collection halls:

Collection Lambert Lobby
Collection Lambert Lobby
Collection Lambert Laurence Weiner
Laurence Weiner, Presque mieux que les autres, A Fripon, fripon, & demi, 2012
Collection Lambert David Shrigley and Louis Jammes
David Shrigley, Slum (Taudis), 2000 and Louis Jammes, Sans Titre, 1990
Collection Lambert, Mircea Cantor's Another Message
Mircea Cantor, Another Message, 2000
Collection Lambert Miquel Barceló
Miquel Barceló, Sans Titre, 2015
Collection Lambert, Richard Tuttle's Pink Oval Landscape
Richard Tuttle, Pink Oval Landscape, 1964
Collection Lambert, Richard Tuttle's Pink Oval Landscape
Richard Tuttle, Pink Oval Landscape, 1964
Collection Lambert Sol LeWitt's Incomplete Open Cube, 7 Parts, Variation No. 6
Sol LeWitt, Incomplete Open Cube, 7 Parts, Variation No. 6, 1973
Collection Lambert Sol LeWitt's Five Square Modular Piece
Sol LeWitt, Five Square Modular Piece, 1974
Sol LeWitt, Collection Lambert
Sol LeWitt, Untitled, N.D.
Collection Lambert Sol LeWitt
Sol LeWitt, Wall Piece No. 3, 1979 and Wall Piece No. 7, 1979
Collection Lambert Bertrand Lavier
Bertrand Lavier, Bleu d’Idanthrène, 1987
Collection Lambert Sol LeWitt
Sol LeWitt, Wall Painting, 2004
Collection Lambert Niele Toroni
Niele Toroni, Empreintes de pinceau n. 50 répétées à Intervalles réguiliers (30 cm), Juin 2000
Collection Lambert
Andres Serrano
Collection Lambert Andres Serrano
Andres Serrano, Bodily Fluids (Semen & Blood I), 1987
Collection Lambert Vincent Ganivet
Vincent Ganivet, Entrevous, 2010
Minimal room at the Collection Lambert
Works by Christian Marclay, Daniel Buren and Bertrand Lavier
Collection Lambert Christian Marclay
Christian Marclay, Untitled (From the Series “Imaginary Records”), 1993
Collection Lambert Bertrand Lavier
Bertrand Lavier, Delfino, 1988
Collection Lambert
Bertrand Lavier, Delfino, 1988
Collection Lambert Zhang Huan
Zhang Huan, Sans Titre, 2013-2015
Collection Lambert Claire Fontaine
Claire Fontaine, Foreigners Everywhere (Arabic/Hebrew), 2010
Collection Lambert Claire Fontaine
Claire Fontaine, Foreigners Everywhere (Arabic/Hebrew), 2010

Four works by Daniel Buren, Sans Titre, Decembre 1971, Juillet 1969, Avril, 1970, and Mars 1969, respectively:

Collection Lambert Daniel Buren
Daniel Buren
Collection Lambert Olivier Mosset
Olivier Mosset, Sans Titre, 1966
Daniel Buren, Collection Lambert
Daniel Buren, Sans Titre, Juin 1971 and Octobre 1970
Collection Lambert Entrance
Collection Lambert Entrance
Collection Lambert Entrance
Collection Lambert Entrance

Collection Lambert
5 Rue Violette
84000 Avignon, France

Open Tuesday – Sunday from 11am-6pm

 
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