23 Oct POP-UP EXHIBITION // LA VIE SEREN
POP-UP EXHIBITION BY THE PAINTER
LAURENT DE VISMES
“L’HEURE MAGIQUE”
Laurent De Vismes will exhibit at Villa Seren in Hossegor from October 1 to November 17
In the fall, when the sun disappears behind the horizon and day gently gives way to night, there is a moment of suspension. A shifting light, lasting only a few dozen minutes, during which the landscapes seem to transform.
It is this unique interlude that Laurent De Vismes explores in his exhibition “L’heure magique”, which will be on view at Villa Seren in Hossegor from October 1 to November 17.
A Light Between Day and Night
In cinema, the “magic hour” refers to the moment after sunset and before nightfall. It is a unique, fleeting light that creates an atmosphere that is both melancholic and luminous, as if offering a different perception of time.
For Laurent De Vismes, this hour is also intimately linked to the landscapes of the Landes region that have been a part of his life since childhood. It evokes memories, childhood, and dreams, but also a sense of silence and contemplation.
At Villa Seren, the works engage naturally with their surroundings: the marine lake, the row of pine trees, the forest, the ocean, and the ever-changing light unique to the region. Most of the works on display thus depict landscapes bathed in this late-afternoon light, between sunset and nightfall.
Hossegor as an Intimate Place
Born in Marseille in 1969, Laurent De Vismes studied at the Bordeaux School of Fine Arts and then at a film school in Paris. Since childhood, he has returned regularly to Hossegor, where his roots lie and which forms a significant part of his artistic imagination.
The sea and the horizon feature prominently in his work. They echo the verticality of the pine trees and other trees, while the passage of time, the fragility of life, and nature are themes that run through his work.
This connection to the region goes beyond the landscape he depicts: the light and familiar places of the area are embedded in his imagination and appear in his creations, sometimes consciously, sometimes more instinctively.
Painting the Sensation
Painting is the central theme of Laurent De Vismes’s artistic practice, with a particular preference for oil. But the artist also enjoys varying his techniques and media in order to find, for each work, the most appropriate method for conveying a sensibility or an emotion.
The exhibition thus brings together several media: oil on canvas, oil and charcoal on watercolor paper, charcoal, acrylic on carved cardboard, wax engraving and gouache, as well as works combining paint and embroidery thread.
Among the works on display are L’heure magique, Estuaire, Avant le feu, Pollen, Célébration, Le grand lac, Bouquet de pins, Avant la dune, L’heure bleue, Blue moon et Bouquet landais.
An Exhibition in Harmony with Villa Seren
The choice of Villa Seren as an exhibition venue takes on special significance in the artist’s work. Here, the landscape is already ever-present: the saltwater lake in front of the hotel, the row of pine trees on the horizon, the ocean whose murmur can sometimes be heard, the forest, and, in the distance, the Pyrenees.
These elements echo many of the landscapes found in Laurent De Vismes’s works. The exhibition thus invites us to look at our surroundings in a new light and to rediscover, within a familiar landscape, that special light that lasts only a moment.
“The Magic Hour” is an invitation to slow down, observe, and let the light wash over you.
An exhibition where painting becomes a bridge between landscape and memory, between reality and imagination,
between the end of the day and the beginning of the night.
About the Artist
After studying at the Bordeaux School of Fine Arts and attending a film school in Paris, Laurent De Vismes developed his own visual style through the production of short films, while continuing his work as a painter.
His work has been exhibited in Biarritz, Hossegor, Arcachon, Lacanau, Paris, Montreuil, and Compiègne, among other places.
The Exhibition:
“L’HEURE MAGIQUE” — Laurent De Vismes
📍 Villa Seren — Hossegor, Landes
📅 October 1–November 17
🎨 Painting and mixed techniques
En savoir plus sur l’artiste :
Discover interview here : read interview in french
Instagram : www.instagram.com/devismeslaurent
Web site : www.laurentdevismes.com
