Art historian, art critic and Martell Corporate Foundation director, Nathalie Viot dreams of making the French commune of Cognac a cultural destination. For Nathalie, Maison Martell is anchored deeply in its territory and has a responsibility to be Cognac’s creative heart. Through her work with the Foundation and the exhibits that she curates, Nathalie makes use of culture to transmit knowledge and passion.
Nathalie Viot, art historian, art critic and Martell Corporate Foundation director, dreams of making the commune of Cognac in France a cultural destination. She has always been engaged in artistic direction and curation. Throughout her career, she has directed and curated various art spaces and galleries in France and Switzerland. Prior to taking on this role in 2017, Nathalie pushed the limits of creativity as contemporary art advisor for the city of Paris for over ten years.
For Nathalie, Maison Martell is anchored deeply in its territory and has a responsibility to be Cognac’s creative heart. The Foundation’s purpose is to transmit heritage and memory through artistic works. Through Nathalie’s committed work with the Foundation and the exhibits that she curates, she transmits knowledge and passion via culture and art.
Located in Maison Martell’s former bottling plant, an historic modernist building, the Foundation houses exhibition spaces, workshops, a research lab and a rooftop bar. After taking in the Foundation’s exhibitions, visitors can enjoy classic cognac cocktails along with panoramic views. Every aspect of the Foundation, even its in-between spaces like stairs, passages and elevators, features artistic works spanning the range of engaging contemporary art.
Before choosing to collaborate with a particular artist, Nathalie visits them, often in their studio, and ensures that there is a deep, empathic connection. Through her careful curation of works and events at the Foundation, Nathalie designs programming and expos that have something to please everyone. Some of Nathalie’s most treasured experiences are when she is reading a book, seeing a work or speaking to a friend — and knowing that this is the moment where her next show will come from. For Nathalie, audacity is the freedom to acknowledge and make these choices.
