The amazed eye of Nathalie Atlan Landaburu focusses on the Hôtel de Lille

Saint-Germain-des-Prés is well known for the timeless figures who create the story of the district and add to its cultural vitality. Nathalie Atlan Landaburu is one of these figures. Passionate about contemporary art and photography, she has made it her profession. An aesthete, she casts her seasoned eye from the Rue de Beaune to Vendômois, where she has settled down with her favourite artists. Nathalie combines the roles of collector, patron, art advisor and gallery director, and her insight is sought by art enthusiasts who respect her expertise and knowledge of photography and contemporary sculpture. Meanwhile, the district continues to pulse to the rhythm of its exhibitions, including those dedicated to Serge Gainsbourg, a lifelong resident. The Hôtel de Lille, which shares her passion for art, is like a second home to Nathalie.

Established 8 years ago in the Carré Rive Gauche, at 16 Rue de Beaune, the HEOGA gallery founded by Nathalie has taken on the mission of promoting artists, photographers and sculptors involved in the creation of contemporary art. Having become plural, the gallery is now itinerant, making an impact as a showroom in Issy-les-Moulineaux and an artists' residence in Vendômois. While present at many temporary venues, fairs or ‘pop-ups’, the HEOGA gallery comes to the Hôtel de Lille several times a year to present photography exhibitions.

Nathalie's passion for photography and sculpture unfolds around poetry, sensuality and figuration: “The poet's amazed gaze on the world is important to me. In the same way, the works which appeal to the 5 senses and the emotions carry within them a grace and a magic of universal reach. I love works which go beyond the eyes to speak for themselves.”

Among her favourite themes is the landscape, particularly those represented by ZIGOR in his works in black and white, or by the photographer Hamid Sardar in his stunning images of wild Mongolia. The body is a favourite, too, in all its sensuality, expressed by the photographs of Eric Ceccarini, and a passion for dance with Grégoire Korganow and his intimate photographs of dancers during rehearsals or backstage, or Ludovic Florent in his series ‘Poussières d’étoiles’ (Stardust). Finally, there is culture and everything that allows people to communicate it, beautifully conveyed by the exhibition ‘Le Jazz au bout des Doigts’ (Jazz at your Fingertips) by Sophie Le Roux, presented from June 3rd to 30th, 2021 at the Hôtel de Lille, ‘Art of Ride’ by Bernard Testemale, as well as Yvan Travert and his series Marche Doucement sur la Terre’ (Walk Gently on the Earth), offered and currently exhibited at the Hôpital Européen George Pompidou.
Nathalie Atlan Landaburu's life has been built on encounters and passions, including her gallery, which she founded on a whim after acquiring a work by the Basque artist ZIGOR and then seeing a space available for lease in the Carré Rive Gauche. At the Hôtel de Lille, where the characters of Saint-Germain-des-Prés watch over the corridors and the works on display, a photo of Françoise Sagan caught the eye of the founders. Subsequently, a true dialogue developed between the hotel and Nathalie, who now adorns the hotel’s walls with rare photos and receives her clients and partners from all over the world here. “I love EVERYTHING at the Hôtel de Lille,” she readily declares.

For Nathalie, the Hôtel de Lille is a canvas on which her taste for art and beautiful things can be expressed and shared amidst a collection of photographs and other desirable items assembled by the founder and director of the hotel, Philippe Daucet. Nathalie has become an integral and essential part of the neighbourhood. She organises 3 to 4 exhibitions here each year. From October 21st to 25th 2021, on the occasion of the Modern Art Fair during the Semaine de l'Art Contemporain à Paris, she will present the works ‘Intimity’ by the photographer Claude Azoulay and ‘Les Liens de la Vie’ (The Bonds of Life) by the sculptor Victoire d'Harcourt.

Nathalie Atlan Landaburu's recommended addresses in the district

For a trip to the Haute Époque: Galerie Alexandre Piatti - 11 Rue de Beaune, 75007 Paris
For the delicacy of Asian lacquer: Galerie TIAGO - 36 Rue de l'Université, 75007 Paris
For the magic of a château: Galerie Pla - 18 Rue de Beaune, 75007 Paris
For the brasserie atmosphere: Le Bistrot de Paris - 33 Rue de Lille, 75007 Paris
For the flavours of Spain: Fogon Ultramarinos - 38 Rue de Verneuil, 75007 Paris

Colombe de La Taille