One of Lausanne’s key museums, the Collection de l’Art Brut, housed in a magnificent mansion, is full of surprises with its unique collection of works by self-taught artists, far removed from conventional artistic codes.
In the centre of Lausanne, the splendid Château de Beaulieu houses the Collection de l’Art Brut. A one-off in Switzerland, this unusual museum displays the creations of self-taught artists, often the marginalised, detainees or prisoners. Through the permanent and temporary collections, visitors come to reflect on and understand these artists who are not artists.The Collection de l’Art Brut came into being thanks to a donation from Jean Dubuffet, a French artist and collector, who devised this creative form. According to Dubuffet’s definition, “true art is always there where we least expect it. (…) Art is like a person who loves to remain incognito”. The Collection de l'Art Brut (Outsider’s Art Collection) is housed in a castle dating back to the 18th century that is a property of the City of Lausanne, the Château de Beaulieu. For two generations, it belonged to the Mingard family. Flats were let to famous guests: Jacques Necker, Louis XVI’s minister of finance, and his wife Suzanne, née Curchod, as well as Victor Perrin, Napoléon’s marshal, and historian Jules Michelet…The Collection de l’Art Brut regularly participates in cultural events and offers free admission on the first Saturday of the month.
