TOULOUSE
As part of the celebrations to mark the 500th anniversary of the Donjon du Capitole, this exhibition invites you to explore an emblematic monument through the eyes of creators committed to the city’s cultural influence: the Ambassadors of Toulouse.
An artistic project born in the heart of the Donjon: “Inspiration Donjon” was inaugurated on 2 October 2025, during an exceptional evening organised directly in the Donjon du Capitole, transformed for the occasion into a veritable showcase of creativity. For the first time, the 17 artists presented their original works inspired by this monument, which has been home to the Tourist Office for over 80 years.
The 17 artists: AFAT, AHPY, BEGUINART, CEET, GARRIGUE, GRASSET, LANGLADE, MAGNES, MALLARD, AZZARO, BAKOTA, HENNEQUIN, IMASHEV, LANGLOYS, PLACES, SOULETTE and YOU come from France, Germany, Canada, Poland, the United States and Kazakhstan. Painters, sculptors, graffiti artists, photographers, stylists, illustrators or poets, established or emerging, they all share a deep bond with Toulouse and are committed, each in their own way, to its cultural influence.
At Galerie 21, the exhibition has a new setting thanks to gallery owner Sylvie Amigo-Soulet, who recently became an Ambassador for Toulouse.
A powerful thread runs through all the works: the duality of the Donjon, between the Visible and the Invisible. The Visible is its fortified architecture, its massive presence, its instantly recognisable silhouette. The Invisible is the buried memories, the traces of the past, the stories of freedom and confinement, the silent vibrations accumulated over five centuries.
“Inspiration Donjon” is much more than an exhibition: it’s a vibrant tribute to Toulouse and its people. As the Club des Ambassadeurs team reminds us, everyone has an intimate connection with the Donjon – a memory, a first visit, a familiar image – and the exhibition invites us to rediscover this collective attachment through the sensibilities of the artists.
