La Criée, Rennes

La Criée is Rennes’ contemporary art centre set inside the city’s former fish auction hall, a space once used to set prices for the morning’s catch. The building was inaugurated on April 29, 1923 and designed by municipal architect Emmanuel Le Ray; above the doorway you can still read “Criée municipale”, meaning “The Municipal Fish Market".

Since 1986, this hall has hosted exhibitions, commissions, and artist projects that link Rennes to international contemporary art. The venue became a municipal cultural facility in 1999 and, in 2018, received France’s “Nationally Recognized Contemporary Art Centre” label-recognition of its sustained public mission and curatorial program.

Expect a compact, focused visit: two main galleries and smaller rooms host seasonal exhibitions, performances, and talks, often tied to research or site-specific production. Programming is designed to be welcoming-materials are available in the galleries, and staff are on hand for questions-making the place a good counterpart to a stroll through the market next door.