Pierre Yovanovitch Shares His Love of an Alicja Kwade Installation at His Château
The multihyphenate designer and Galerie Creative Mind commissioned one of the artist’s otherworldly works for the grounds of his Provençal estate
At Château de Fabrègues, my property in Provence, a special commission by Alicja Kwade features a series of large spherical stones that evoke a solar system. Situated haphazardly on my lawn, the artwork brings up this question of our place in the world, exploring scale, time, and even the natural versus the supernatural. I first saw her work in 2017 at the Venice Biennale and immediately felt a connection to it, so I asked her to create this piece for my garden.
She has the ability to push beyond the limits of what other artists do. Her work is profoundly impactful and even transformative. I spend a lot of time outdoors there, and I find the juxtaposition of my garden’s simplicity with the otherworldly quality of the rocks to be comforting. It serves as a reminder of our place in the wider universe, gently dismantling the boundaries of perception. Bringing art into the landscape enhances the space, encouraging curiosity and storytelling while accentuating the beauty of the surroundings
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Summer Issue in the section “In Focus.” Subscribe to the magazine.