PORTRAIT. Thierry Leviez, expert in scenography and new director of the Pavillon Bosio
Romain Boisaubert/Monaco-Tribune
New director of the Pavillon Bosio, Thierry Leviez (42) arrives with a solid background, full of diverse experience. From Toulouse to Berlin via Paris, we look back at the career of the man who aims to give the Monegasque art school a worldwide reputation.
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Thierry Leviez welcomed us in his office, lit by a soft natural light with a piercing sea view that gives way to dreams. Only two weeks after his arrival at the Pavillon Bosio. “I’m getting used to it, little by little,” smiles the man who took over from Isabelle Lombardot last September. “I haven’t yet been able to appreciate the joys of Monaco and the Côte d’Azur. But from what little I have seen, it is very pleasant.”
Scenography, his speciality, at the core of his undertaking
Having arrived straight from Paris, this native of Toulouse has already been able to enjoy the pleasures of the Mediterranean at lunchtime, during the short breaks he allows himself on the sea wall at the foot of the Rock. “I am very honoured to be here, for my first experience as a head teacher.” An alliance that is the result of chance. Invited to Monaco to give a conference, Thierry Leviez heard about a position that would soon be available. That of director of the Pavillon Bosio. “I didn’t hesitate and applied.” Here he is today at the head of the Monegasque establishment, which he intends to make known throughout the world.
The Pavillon Bosio is small but we want to give it a global reach by being the standard in scenography.
Thierry Leviez
“The school has developed a lot in the last ten years,” he says. “Before, it was just a preparatory class. Now it is a recognised public school, with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Leading figures from the artistic world are often present to give lectures. We are going to form a partnership with the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.” An expansion that goes hand in hand with a growing specialisation. Scenography.
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“We want to refocus the school in this area,” says the expert. “Of course, we will always train artists, but we want to give students a real technical background. Exhibition scenography is becoming increasingly important. And in France, there is no real benchmark. The Pavillon Bosio is small, but we want to give it a global reach by being the standard in scenography.”
Behind many renowned exhibitions
Former curator of the Printemps de Septembre exhibitions in Toulouse between 2013 and 2016, where he notably led a huge project that revolutionised the Musée des Augustins in Toulouse alongside Jorge Pardo, Thierry Leviez developed a taste for scenography after his studies. Trained at the Ecole du Louvre and the Ecole du Magasin in Grenoble, the new director of the Pavillon Bosio has curated several exhibitions, including the first exhibition devoted to the brick sculptures of Per Kirkeby.
When I was younger, I knew I wanted to work with artists
Thierry Leviez
A vocation that he has learned to ease into over time. “When I was younger, I knew that I wanted to work with artists,” confides the man who modestly considers that he does not have artistic fiber himself. “I started as a salesperson at Fnac in the bookshop department, before doing a preparatory course at the HEC business school and a trip abroad to Berlin, Germany.” This was an enriching cultural experience for the man who is now a leader in exhibition design.
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Based in Villefranche-sur-Mer whilst waiting to take up residence in Nice to meet up with his friends from the Villa Arson, Thierry Leviez intends to go and see an AS Monaco match at the Louis II soon. The former Beaux Arts student from Paris is passionate about football and is a huge fan of the Toulouse Football Club and is looking forward to seeing Wissam Ben Yedder again. “He was our favourite at Toulouse.” Certainly, the connection between the Pink City and the Principality holds some nice surprises.