Montpellier, the capitol of Languedoc-Roussillon, is France’s fastest-growing and youngest city, with over a third of its population made up of university students. It’s also a bit like Paris with palm trees, but smaller and easily manageable on foot, bicycle and the ultra-chic tram system.

One of the standout art experiences there is La Panacée, the new contemporary art center housed in a historic building that was, by turns, the Royal Medical School, Graduate School of Pharmacy, and National Health Laboratory.

Dating from the 12^th century, the building is constructed around an inner courtyard open to the sky, where today, visitors can grab a canvas lounge chair to read or nap in the sun.

In formulating a program for the presentation and production of contemporary art, the planners took the building’s history as a research center to heart. La Panacée, which opened just last year, hosts several major exhibitions each year, with public programs supporting education, media theory, film and video, workshops, writing programs, conferences, performances, and special events. A full artist-in-residence program, with production studios and on-site living spaces, makes this a 24/7 art and living space.

The exhibition on view when I visited in August, A Letter Always Arrives, includes works by artists at the center of conceptual art of the 1960s and ‘70s including Eleanor Antin, Bruce Nauman, Felix Gonzales-Torres, Dan Graham, Alan Kaprow, Louise Lawler, Roland Satabier, John Perreault, and Adrian Piper, among others, with works by some of their influences such as Marcel Duchamps and George Brecht as well. The exhibition has been extended through November 16^th. Photos: Peggy Roalf

La Panacée Contemporary Art Center,14, rue de l’école de pharmacie, 34000 montpelliert +33(0)4.34.88.79.79. Information. Public programs. Residency program: Camille Aubin