Maison Contour was founded by Catherine Contour in 2008, as a tailor-made artisanal art workshop, a nomadic creative form based on temporary occupation of partner locations, a space for encounters and sharing and an ever-changing website.

The Maison (House) as a home for work on a human scale.

A place of invitations, temporary and multifaceted gatherings where sustainable collaboration forms and one-off encounters are conceived. A simple and modular structure tailored to an ever-evolving approach involving research and exploration. Catherine Contour chose this work method as it is more suited to her reality and needs than a traditional company (hierarchical organization operating as a business model which dominated contemporary dance set-ups in France in the 1980s). This « structural fragility » has transformed over time into a « force » through the freedom it offers the creative process.

The Maison (House) in the spirit of an artistic signature

Encounters give birth to the desire for a creative form resulting from the experience of inhabiting a space.
The quality of « made by hand » combined with the Maison Contour signature. The approach of a craftsman resisting « mass distribution ». Each piece, each object is tailor-made over time until a discreet preciousness is achieved. It takes time to produce creative work adapted to the specific context in close dialogue with the places and their inhabitants-users, time to infuse and transform. The number of participants is limited to encourage a close relationship and pay particular attention to ways of “addressing” an audience.

Association 40Neuf (Grenoble)

The 40Neuf association was founded in 2016 in Grenoble, France and aims to « broaden the field of dance and share its know-how through creation, research and transmission ». It succeeds the KOB association created in 1996 to support and accompany Catherine Contour’s approach in these various fields.