‘WHAT TIME CANNOT ERASE’
May 11th – november 11th
Born in 1958 in Agen, Emmanuel Flipo showed signs of heightened sensitivity and creative energy from a very early age, which naturally led him towards drawing and painting.
Introduced to architecture from an early age, he enrolled at the Toulouse School of Fine Arts in 1977, then at the Villa Arson in Nice, where he specialised in architecture. After completing his studies, he set up his studio in Pézenas in 1983, founded his own drawing school and undertook in-depth research into erosion, traces and natural structures.
In the late 1980s, his watercolours gained recognition in France and abroad, notably in Mexico with an exhibition at the Institut Français in Guadalajara and at the Galerie Enrique Clavé. His move to New York in 1993 marked a turning point; he turned resolutely towards a conceptual approach, fuelled by contemporary geopolitical issues and the exclusive use of found materials. This period saw the emergence of his topographical studies and his first major ephemeral off-site performances (El niño in California, COP15 in Denmark, Occitanie in Toulouse…).
A versatile artist, he relishes experimentation, defying the stylistic labels with which others seek to confine him, and has always produced work that alternates between abstraction and figuration.
For this new exhibition, which Belcastel Castle sought to set against a medieval backdrop, it presents, on its weathered surfaces, figures and symbols inspired by the works of the great masters who shaped European painting up until the end of the 14th century.
EXHIBITION : WHAT TIME CANNOT ERASE
Here, the Middle Ages are not a historical period to be dated, but an inner time, a deep-seated memory that continues to permeate our images, our stories and our materials.
In this exhibition, the paintings do not seek to reconstruct a bygone era. Instead, they explore its lingering traces: those of figures, gestures and symbols, but also those of the media themselves. Weathered wood, reclaimed materials and worn surfaces become sites of silent resistance to the passage of time. They carry within them a history that predates the images they now bear.
Angels, musicians, allegorical figures and architectural forms are not invoked as scholarly references, but as enduring motifs embedded in our collective imagination. The sacred is no longer religious: it becomes anthropological, linked to the transmission, to the memory of civilisations, and to the human need to give form to that which endures through the centuries.
By reinterpreting figures from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the artist seeks neither stylistic fidelity nor nostalgia. On the contrary, he focuses on the erosion, fragmentation and reactivation of images. Painting on found materials means rejecting a neutral surface; it means accepting that the work is already inhabited, already marked, already old.
Displayed within Château de Belcastel, this painting enters into a dialogue with an architecture that has, too, stood the test of time. The castle does not merely showcase the works; it provides them with a space in which to resonate. Together, they explore what remains, what changes, and what returns.
What time cannot erase are those enduring forms that continue to gaze back at us, despite the wear and tear, despite the passing of centuries.
PROGRAM RELATED TO THE EXHIBITION
GUIDED TOURS
Accompanied by our guides, this tour offers visitors the chance to explore the Château and the works on display, as well as the connection between them.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes. Flat rate: €12 (booking required, minimum 12 people)
For further information and bookings, please contact us here.
See the castle’s opening hours in our practical information section.
SPECIAL MASTERCLASSES during the exhibition, led by the artist and the château’s owner
Saturday June 27th, 2026
Monday August 3rd, 2026
Saturday September 19th, 2026
An intimate and convivial occasion during which Emmanuel FLIPO will present his works and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibition. The event will be preceded by a guided tour of the Château led by Éric Girard, the Château’s owner, and followed by refreshments and a gourmet snack.
Duration: 2 hours, from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm
Maximum 20 people.
Price: €25 per adult / €23 per child
Bookings can be made by calling +33(0)5 65 64 42 16 or emailing contact[a]chateaubelcastel.com