Mezzanine Sud

Supported by the Friends of Les Abattoirs, this prize marks the commitment of Les Abattoirs, Musée - Frac Occitanie Toulouse, to the development of contemporary artistic creation. It highlights the dynamism of the young local scene and rewards artists under the age of 35 with links to the Occitanie region.

Selected by a jury, the winners receive exhibition space, a production budget and honoraria. Today, the prize continues to win regional and national recognition, and serves as a springboard for most of the winning artists (acquisitions into public collections, new exhibition projects, etc.).

The 2024 winners
Socheata Aing
Secret Garden

Mélodie Bajo
I dissolved when I discovered this animated fibre and we evaporated inside.

Clara Gaget
We twirl in the night, and are consumed by fire.

Each new edition of the Mezzanine Sud Prize celebrates the diversity of artistic languages and the multiple energies of the young generation of artists. The three winners of this year's prize, Socheata Aing, Mélodie Bajo and Clara Gaget, present singular universes tinged with varied influences. Intimacy, a personal space and inner refuge, is revealed through works that explore the very essence of the artists. The family, as the foundation of our identity, is evoked in stories of bonding, revealing the complexity of human relationships.

Questions about our social constructs, identity and psychology are also central to their research. These universal themes are combined with a reflection on our dualities, questioning the contradictions and multiplicity of identities.

Text, words and lyrics become powerful mediums for expressing the artists' thoughts and emotions, enriched by the staging, which offers tangible ways of materialising their ideas.

Anniversary edition: 10 years of Mezzanine Sud!
The Prix Mezzanine Sud has rewarded 34 artists in 10 years. Many of them are now pursuing distinguished careers in France and abroad, testifying to the importance of the Prix Mezzanine Sud in their careers.

Following their exhibitions, some of the prize-winners have gone on to become part of the collections of Les Abattoirs, Musée - Frac Occitanie Toulouse and other public institutions, particularly in the Occitanie region, such as Frac Occitanie Montpellier and the Musée régional d'art contemporain in Sérignan, which keep a close eye on the work of these artists.

Mezzanine Sud's 10th anniversary exhibition aims to highlight the links between artists and regional institutions dedicated to contemporary art, as well as the region's tremendous artistic vitality.

With works by artists :
Laurie Dall'Ava, Cindy Coutant, Nicolas Daubanes, Alison Flora, Naomi Maury, Mazaccio & Drowilal, Agathe Pitié, Jimmy Richer, Maxime Sanchez