Echoing the journey of Impressionism, the festival unfolds a path of excellence from the Dutch scene across five emblematic sites. Four major artists engage with the landscape to explore, each in their own way, the shifting boundaries between nature, technology, and artifice.
This exceptional spotlight benefits from the invaluable support of theEmbassy of the Netherlands in France, which values the presence of these talents and the reach of their work to a wider audience. The festival also acknowledges the commitment of the Mondriaan Fonds, which supports the projects of Diana Scherer, Tanja Smeets, and Jacques Perconte.
From Zaandam to Normandy: a story of light
While Normandy accompanied Monet through his later years, the Netherlands marked one of his
first great artistic awakenings. In 1871, returning from London to Paris, the young painter found refuge
in Zaandam and Amsterdam—land of canals, windmills, and a light so pure it seemed to
dissolve the horizon. In these landscapes, Monet discovered a new way of perceiving the world: a
profound unity between sky and water, between air and matter, between perception and emotion. As he
would later write:
"Zaandam is particularly remarkable, and one could paint a whole lifetime there."
This revelation, born under the Dutch light, would reappear years later in the water lilies and
the play of reflections that enliven the ponds of Giverny.
In 2024, Normandie Impressionniste dedicated a significant portion to the British connection
(notably through the works of David Hockney and Oliver Beer, in partnership with the British Council),
echoing Monet's time in London. In 2026, the festival continues this historical and
artistic journey across Europe: from London to Amsterdam, and on to Paris, following Monet's trajectory and
highlighting the artistic connections that run through the landscapes of the northern part of the continent.
A dialogue between territories
The dialogue between Normandy and the Netherlands is based on deep affinities. These two northern regions
share landscapes shaped by water, ever-changing skies, and a sensitive relationship with nature and
its elements. Both cultivate a culture of light that is contemplative, meditative, and
profoundly human. By evoking these resonances, Normandie Impressionniste celebrates not only
Monet's legacy but also the continuity of artists who, even today, seek to reinvent the
connection between humanity and nature.
It is in this spirit that four contemporary Dutch artists, or artists working in the Netherlands, were
invited to engage in dialogue with Monet's vision and to revisit the theme of the garden from their own practices
and contemporary issues: Studio Drift, Jacques Perconte, Diana Scherer and Tanja Smeets.
Like Monet, the visionary artist who found renewal in foreign lands, the Netherlands continues to assert itself today as a remarkable land of welcome and innovation. A cosmopolitan crossroads where art, design, and science meet, and whose unique relationship with the landscape resonates deeply with Norman identity.
Discover the stops along this unique artistic journey.
Diana Scherer — The Light in the Nets
From May 29 to August 30, 2026 — Saint-Nicolas Church, Caen
At the Church of Saint-Nicolas in Caen, the work of Diana Scherer (born in Germany, lives and works in Amsterdam) is revealed as a unique garden, born from a collaboration between human intention and the forces of nature. Like the gardens of Claude Monet, this exhibition explores our contemporary relationship with the plant world, between freedom and control, nature and artifice.
Her work explores an original idea: to make the plants themselves "weave." By guiding the growth of the roots, she creates patterns reminiscent of textiles or drawings, transforming the plant into a true artistic collaborator. Inspired by ancestral weaving techniques, she transposes them into a natural and autonomous process, giving rise to works that are both visually hypnotic and conceptually powerful.
Studio DRIFT — Meadow, hanging garden
From May 29 to September 27 – Sainte-Croix-des-Pelletiers Church, Rouen
When high technology gives way to pure poetry. The renowned Amsterdam-based studio DRIFT takes over the Sainte-Croix-des-Pelletiers church with Meadow, a monumental kinetic installation composed of robotic water lilies.
In a delicate, mechanical ballet, these technological structures open and unfold above the visitors, mimicking the biological rhythm of real flowers. A landscape in perpetual motion that captures the very essence of Impressionism: the impermanence of light and the emotion of the moment.
Superblue, Miami, 2021
photo by Oriol Tarridas
Jacques Perconte – At the Edge of the Forest
From May 16 to November 1 – Michel Ciry Museum
Jacques Perconte (French, based between France and Rotterdam) has been developing a practice of digitally transforming video images since the 1990s, playing with alterations of color and form in an aesthetic akin to Impressionism. During a residency in Varengeville-sur-Mer, Normandy, he imagined a "possible garden" between land and sea. Through the works Brun, Buis and Bleu, he composes poetic landscapes where nature and technology recompose plants, sea, and light.
This work is presented in the form of prints and videos at the Michel Ciry museum, offering an immersion in imaginary plant landscapes.
Michel Ciry Museum, 2026
Tanja Smeets — Gardens in Dialogue: Contemporary Art in Lyons-la-Forêt
From June 13 to September 27, Lyons-la-Forêt Forest
In her large-scale installations, Tanja Smeets explores the processes of organic growth and
transformation, creating sculptural formations that seem to unfold and breathe within
architectural spaces. Constructed from everyday materials (plastic, textiles, and
industrial waste), her works blur the line between the natural and the synthetic.
Like living organisms, Smeets' sculptures appear suspended in a state of
metamorphosis: they bud, flow, and expand. This poetic ambiguity questions
overconsumption, the value of materials, and the fragility of our relationship with the environment.
Presented as part of the contemporary art trail in Lyons-la-Forêt, one of the most remarkable natural sites in Normandy, Tanja Smeets' installation establishes a dialogue between landscape,
architecture and traces of human intervention: an ephemeral encounter between art and ecology.
, Maubuisson Abbey, Saint-Ouen-L'Aumône, France, 2024.
Photo by Catherine Brossais
Jacques Perconte – At Sea Level
From July 1st to August 31st at Rouen-Rive-Droite Station
Conceived during his residency in Varengeville-sur-Mer, Normandy, Jacques Perconte has installed a monumental immersive projection at Rouen train station. This plunges travelers into a digital landscape of light and shimmering movements, blending flowers and sea, echoing the Norman coastline and countryside.
Gare de Rouen, 2026
