15 GRAND SUMMER EXHIBITIONS ON THE COTE D’AZUR IN 2023!

1– “MONET IN THE SPOTLIGHT” | GRIMALDI FORUM IN MONACO

The summer exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco is devoted to the works of Claude Monet, one of the greatest impressionist painters of the 19th century. This major exhibition comes within the framework of celebrating the 140th anniversary of Claude Monet’s first visit to Monaco and the Riviera, where the leader of impressionism would discover the landscapes and a light that would mark a turning point in his work and in his career.

The exhibition brings together some one hundred canvases, of which almost half come from the Marmottan Monet Museum. This is also the opportunity to discover Monet’s lesser-known works, such as his paintings of the Normandy coast or his portraits of his family.

📍 Grimaldi Forum in Monaco
📆 From 8 July to 3 September 2023

3 – “JEAN PAUL RIOPELLE – WORKSHOP PERFUMES” EXHIBITION | MAEGHT FOUNDATION IN SAINT-PAUL-DE-VENCE

The “Jean Paul Riopelle – Workshop perfumes” exhibition will be held at the Maeght Foundation from 1 July to 5 November 2023, within the framework of “Riopelle 100”, the centenary of the artist’s birth.

The Foundation will, as of its reopening on 1 July 2023, present a monographic exhibition devoted to the Canadian artist Jean Paul Riopelle (1923-2002), who was able to soak up the history of art.

This exhibition will explore the artist’s previously unseen work thanks to the commission from his daughter Yseult Riopelle, and to several exclusive public and private loans. During this occasion, a summer programme dedicated to the artist will be planned: concerts, open-air film screenings, children’s workshops, etc.

It will also mark the grand return of dance to the Maeght Foundation with “Passages” by Noé Soulier in a setting that Riopelle dreamt up for Merce Cunningham in 1967.

📍Maeght Foundation
📆 From 1 July to 5 November 2023

5 – PICASSO CELEBRATION: “PICASSO 1969 – 1972. THE END OF THE BEGINNING” | PICASSO MUSEUM IN ANTIBES

On 8 April 2023, the Côte d’Azur commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the death of the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, thus marking a year dedicated to acknowledging his work and his artistic heritage across France, Spain and the entire world.

In Antibes, the Picasso catalogue by Christian Zervos devotes 13 of 23 volumes to the artistic production during the artist’s last 20 years, thus displaying the abundance of creativity in this period. Picasso produced many items after 1968, with a particular intensity between 1969 and 1972, confirming at the age of 90 that painting is first and foremost a question of desire and offering us a lesson in enthusiasm and invention. His recent paintings, rich in colour and on a large scale, reflect his underestimated creative power and his mastery of colour. Exhibited in Avignon in 1970 and 1973, they revisited the familiar characters such as the bullfighters and musketeers, with juvenile energy and overwhelming urgency. He appeared to invite the paint in and guide it on new adventures, thus marking the end of a beginning.

📍 Picasso Museum in Antibes
📆 From 8 April to 25 June 2023

7 – “PICASSO AND GOLDSMITHERY” EXHIBITION | MAGNELLI MUSEUM IN VALLAURIS GOLFE-JUAN

In 1956, Pablo Picasso and François Hugo, the great-grandson of the writer and goldsmith who had worked with several artists such as Cocteau, Derain, Arp and Ernst, started to work together. François Hugo initially transposed ceramic dishes into gold and silver. Then, specific creations such as compote dishes were created. In addition to the similarities between the original ceramic imprints and the silver dishes, Picasso’s approach to goldsmithery grew closer to that of ceramics in the way of understanding the specifics of the material and exploiting its potential. The exhibition, created in collaboration with the Hugo workshops, presents the full series of gold and silver dishes, placed in conjunction with Picasso’s ceramics, the compote dishes and jewellery.

📍 Magnelli Museum-Ceramics Museum in Vallauris Golfe-Juan
📆 From 24 June to 25 September 2023

9 – THE AMEXICA EXHIBITION BY MARIE BARONNET | MOUGINS PHOTOGRAPHY CENTRE

At the border separating the United States from Mexico stands a barrier, a sinister wall known to all. Alone, it embodies all refusal of anything different. The French photographer and documentary maker Marie Baronnet spent months on both sides of this hostile and desolate place that she has christened Amexica, to take pictures of the migrants seeking to cross into the United States and of the border guards and militia that try to stop them.

By using a clear, often contrasted, colour with a twilight tone, the photographer brings out the nature of a conflict that is tearing communities apart. Her attention is focussed on the wait and juxtaposes moments that render the apartheid established by the wall understandable. Portrait by portrait, we better grasp the drama in front of us.

📍 Mougins Photography Centre
📆 From 4 March to 4 June 2023

11 – “PICASSO SEEN BY OTHERS” EXHIBITION | MOUGINS MUSEUM OF CLASSIC ART

Within the framework of the fiftieth anniversary of his death, from 8 April to 31 October 2023, Mougins is offering a series of exhibitions, screenings and exclusive visits in order to pay homage to the artist and allow the public to take on as much possible about the master’s everyday life in Mougins. At the Mougins Museum of Classic Art, there is a dedicated path that awaits you: “Picasso as seen by others”.

The permanent collections at the Mougins Museum of Classic Art (MACM) present a selection of works by Picasso (some created in Mougins) and which highlight his appropriation of Antiquity and the Minotaur theme. In addition to these works, a new display dedicated to the Spanish master invites you to see Picasso through the eyes of others (friends and family, his wives) thanks to sketches, paintings, photographs, sculptures, etc. Free visit booklet available at the welcome desk. Guided tours are also offered.

📍 Mougins Museum of Classic Art
📆 From 8 April to 31 October 2023

13 – “WILL CLIFT, 2023 HENRY CLEWS PRIZE” EXHIBITION | CHÂTEAU DE LA NAPOULE IN MANDELIEU-LA NAPOULE

The Will Clift exhibition, winner of the prestigious Henry Clews Prize for 2023, is a celebration of natural beauty and simplicity of form. Clift, a famous British artist, created a series of inspiring works that reflect his passion for natural materials and the landscapes of his native country. The works of Clift are often minimalist, but they convey an emotional strength that invites viewers to reflect on their own relationship with nature. With refined shapes, soft lines and organic textures, Clift’s sculptures create an immersive experience for the viewer.

The exhibition presents a variety of works, ranging from monumental sculptures to small installations, all created with same attention to detail and the quality of the materials. Clift’s pieces are designed to be contemplative and inspiring, inviting visitors to connect with nature and meditate on their own place in the world.

📍Château de La Napoule in Mandelieu-La Napoule
📆 From 24 June to 31 August 2023

15 – “THE INNER ISLAND” EXHIBITION | VILLA CARMIGNAC ON PORQUEROLLES ISLAND

Landscapes and bodies interlace in dreamlike and disturbing situations, offering dizzying dives into internal worlds. The exhibition presents over 80 works by various artists, allowing visitors to confront these floating worlds.

Strange presences, humans, animals, hybrids or supernatural creatures, populate the premises, creating archipelagos in the exhibition. The island’s energy and its fragility incite dialogue with poetic works, inviting visitors to question themselves on the scope of creative gesture today.

📍 Villa Carmignac on Porquerolles Island
📆 From 29 April to 5 November 2023