Soulages Museum

Before you stands one of the most iconic cultural landmarks in Rodez: the Soulages Museum. Opened in 2014, it is entirely dedicated to Pierre Soulages, a native of the city and a towering figure of contemporary art. Born in Rodez in 1919 and passing away in 2022 at the age of 102, he earned the nickname “the master of Outrenoir” for his groundbreaking way of painting solely in black, using reflections and textures to make light itself emerge from the surface.

The museum holds the world’s largest collection of his work—more than 500 pieces including paintings, prints, bronzes, and preparatory studies for the stained-glass windows of Conques—tracing his journey from his earliest creations to his very last. Through them, you see an artist who never stopped pushing the boundaries of matter and light.

The building itself, designed by the Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes, reflects this same pursuit: its bold corten steel blocks, with their shifting brown tones, echo the patina of Soulages’ canvases and blend naturally into the Foirail Garden. Inside, the minimalist, light-filled spaces amplify the power of the works on display.

Since opening, the museum has also welcomed major temporary exhibitions dedicated to artists like Picasso, Calder, and Yves Klein, attracting visitors from all over the world. With more than a million visitors in just ten years, the Soulages Museum is much more than a tribute to one artist—it has become a symbol of the cultural energy of Rodez and of Occitania itself.