Tough as oak

Through this exhibition, Maëlle Ledauphin proposes an artistic journey inspired by the singular figure of Robert d’Arbrissel, founder of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud. The first name Robert, which appeared in the XIVᵉ century, evoked the idea of “robust”, borrowed from the Latin robustus (“solid, strong, resistant”), itself derived from robur, which first meant “oak”, then by extension “hardness, resistance”. A fascinating figure from the Middle Ages, here he becomes the starting point for a series of drawings, both intimate and monumental, that question our relationship with community, solitude and the quest for meaning.

In residence at the abbey, the artist surveyed the site, explored the surroundings and collected stories. This immersion nourished his creative process, in constant dialogue with the history and echoes of the site. Certain key episodes in Robert d’Arbrissel’s life – his retreat into the forest, his practice of “syneisaktism” (spiritual cohabitation between men and women), or the formation of a group committed to an ascetic lifestyle – become poetic fragments, transformed into images.

Between memory and imagination, this exhibition invites us to meditate on what connects us and what separates us, on the ways we inhabit the world, together or apart.