THE LiFE – BAY 14 OF THE SUBMARINE BASE

The LiFE has been established in Bay 14 of the former submarine base in Saint-Nazaire since 2007. The space, originally designed to house combat submarines, was totally restructured by the architectural agency LIN, under the direction of Berlin architect Finn Geipel. The LiFE is an atypical site for creation, closely connected to an urban renewal project and the reappropriation of the port, with generous and spartan volumes that lend themselves to different reconfigurations.

Since 2009, Le Grand Café – contemporary art centre of Saint-Nazaire has developed an exhibition programme at the LiFE that results in unique creations of an international stature. Its experience of commissioning works allows it to produce exceptional projects that offer visitors a unique experience of the work and of the space. Because of the enormity of the site, the completed projects reactivate the questions posed by monumental art in its relationship to the spectator and to curatorial practice.

Group or solo exhibitions between 2013 and 2019 have addressed the fundamental concerns of contemporary society: work, identity, borders, the media, education, youth, territory and the city.