Who: Denis Rouèche and Prune Simon-Vermot transformed a former bus stop in Neuchâtel into a project space, Palais–Galerie, in 2015.
When: On 5 September, the former bus stop designed by architect Léo Châtelain opened an exhibition with more than sixty names. Since then Rouèche and Simon-Vermot have run the space on their own, presenting their exhibitions as a “coup de coeur”, moving easily across the borders between design and visual arts. Since the opening they have staged more than 18 exhibitions, including over hundred artists.
Where: Prune Simon-Vermot holds a master’s in art direction from ECAL, Lausanne. She received the EXECAL award in 2013 and a young photographer’s award from Pro Helvetia in 2014. Denis Rouèche holds a bachelor’s in visual communication from ECAL, Lausanne. His posters have been shown Europe-wide and he received the 100 Beste Plakate (100 Best Posters) award in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He works as a freelance graphic designer.
What: Palais–Galerie has since acquired cult status among Neuchâtel’s cultural scene, offering a meeting point for lovers of both arts and design, thus strengthening the community in the city, while local media have included the project space in their cultural agendas.
Although Palais-Galerie now receives support from the city, it retains its independence. Being only 15m2 in size, it allows the hosts to be flexible and reactive. As it can be visited even when closed, thanks to its many windows, the little project space stays active all the time.
Why: “Palais–Galerie is thus a discreet milestone placed at the intersection of the numerous niches which fragment the networks of art and visual design.” (François Rappo)
