Modern Art in Nice

Update: MAMAC Museum of Modern Art is closed for a 4-year renovation; reopening in 2028

Pop art sculpture by Niki Saint Phalle in the Hotel Negresco ballroom

Sculpture by Niki Saint Phalle at the Hotel Negresco

The influence of contemporary and modern art in Nice cannot be overstated: it shows up absolutely everywhere, in architecture, restaurants, hotels, shops, festivals, and public works.

Nice was a force in the modern art movement in the ’60’s and ’70’s, attracting conceptual artists from all over Europe and calling itself L’Ecole de Nice, or the School of Nice.  Influencing and intersecting New Realism, the major players included Sosno, Cesar, Arman, Yves Klein, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Bernard Venet, George Brecht, and Ben.

 

The MAMAC Museum of Modern Art 

MAMAC

Currently closed for renovation until 2028

The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC) is dedicated to the history of the European and American avant-garde movement from the beginning of the 1960’s to the present day.

L’Artistique Modern Art Museum – FREE

The outside of L'Artistique museumNice’s second modern art museum L’Artistique is also its most fun, with a lighthearted approach to its vast crazed collection of off-the-wall works from the Ecole de Nice modern art movement. The venue is small so easy to see, and it’s FREE!

Located at 27 boulevard Debouchage near the Nice Etoile shopping center, tram stop Jean Médecin.  It’s just a 15 minute walk from the MAMAC so might as well make it a double header, but if you only have time for one modern art museum, definitely make it this one.  Closed Mondays and all of August, and also closes for lunch.

Espace Lympia in the Port – FREE

Espace Lympia is the newest museum with rotating themed exhibits in a medieval ship building space on the far side of the Nice Port in  2 quai Entrecasteaux (tram stop Port Lympia)

Le 109 – FREE

The name is a play-on-words: 109 is cent neuf which sounds the same as sang neuf, which means new blood.   It is on the site of the enormous ancient slaughterhouse, which the city has given to local artists to use to create, no strings attached.  This vast industrial relic is now the beating heart of the contemporary art up-and-comers.  The vibe is young, happening, and passionate, and they do a constant slate of exhibitions, showings and happenings.  89, route de Turin à Nice, tram stop Vauban then 10 minutes on foot.

Villa Cameline – FREE (but only during certain periods)

Here’s surprising gallery in an extraordinary abandoned villa!  I can’t decide which is more captivating, the art or the elegantly decaying ruins of the once stately Villa CamelineIt’s not a squat: the owner gives a free hand to chosen artists for month-long expositions in spring/summer/fall.  When it’s having a show, it’s open Wednesdays and Saturdays only from 3pm-6:30pm.  43 ave Monplaisir, tram stop Borriglione, then from the tram stop a 6 minute walk along Ave Romain Rolland that curves into ave Monplaisir up the hill.   Worth the effort!

Villa Arson Museum 

The Villa Arson Museum is adjacent to the Institute, which churns out a new crop of avant garde artists every year.  The museum is 8€, and open to the public only during their exhibitions, so check the site to see what’s showing before you go.  Hours during exhibitions 2pm to 6pm (7pm July/August); closed Tuesdays, May 1, Easter Sunday, Christmas and Jan. 1. 20 av. Stephen Liégeard, tram stop Le Ray (line 1) and then a 10 minute walk.

Modern Art Galleries in Nice

  • Lou Babazouk The newest modern art gallery, and in-house artist changes monthly.  Located on the corner of rue Droite and rue de la Loge in old Nice, tram stop Cathedrale or Garibaldi.
  • Galerie Ferraro is just down the street at 17 rue Droite in old Nice, and is one of the most established.
  • Eva Vautier Galerie is run by Ben’s daughter, who grew up with the Ecole de Nice artists.  Located at 2 rue Vernier (tram stop Gare Thiers or Liberation).
  • Galerie Depardieu sometimes moonlights as a pop up jazz concert venue!  6 rue du docteur Jacques Guidoni (tram stops Opera or Massena).
  • Espace à Vendre at 10 Rue Assalit (tram stop Port Lympia) is an eclectic art hub with lots of happenings and events.
  • And here is a link to my favorite virtual gallery where Gregory Preston shows 20 years of highly original photo-artistic creations, all cutting edge and completely inspired by, and imbued with Nice.

Modern Architecture

Building built like a sculpture in Nice

This art movement is still shaping Nice, as witnessed by Sosno’s Tete Carrée, the giant square-head-shaped building just down the street from the MAMAC, that aptly houses the administration of the public library. This marvel of architectural engineering is best seen from Boulevard Barla/Carabacel, and the locals either love it or absolutely hate it.

The new innovatively angular Iconic Building by the train station (tram stop Gare Thiers) is another example of original modern architecture shaping the city.

Modern Art in Nice Hotels

Nice’s iconic and highly eccentric Hotel Negresco is famous for its trippy mix of modern art with staid baroque.

And if you really want to stay with the theme, check-in to The Windsor Art Hotel.  Since 1989, the owners have given chosen Ecole de Nice artists carte blanche to transform one room a year into an ouvre d’art, sometimes with very surprising results.

A hotel room with the walls scrawled with Ben's pithy sayings

The choice of lobby art is the first clue that this 3-star establishment is not like the others, but check-in to one of their Artist Rooms and you will have no doubt.  The Ben room is one of the most popular, covered with his scrawls, most starting with, “I dreamed that…”

Read all about Nice’s most eccentric hotels here.

Public toilet sign

“I piss therefore I am” by the artist Ben, at the public toilets below the Opera tram stop

Modern Art in Public Works

All the art installed along the new tramway lines has its influences in The Ecole de Nice, which has inspired almost all public sculptures in Nice. Other notable ‘can’t miss em’ installations including Max Cartier’s giant stone man at the entrance to the Nice airport, the 7 glowing naked men perched on posts surrounding Place Massena, Venet’s giant steel woosh in the garden just off Place Massena, and his latest, a 30-meter tall set of 9 rusty steel sticks (I’m paraphrasing) on the Promenade des Anglais.  Again, you either love it or hate it.  

Ben has added his whimsical words all over Nice, adorning everything from tram stops to public toilets.

Modern Art Festivals

Les Visiteurs du Soir (The Visitors in the Night) – 2 nights of surprising art in unexpected places, 4 times a year – FREE.  Les Visiteurs du Soir is a kind of sprawling, ephemeral, almost ‘underground’, yearly contemporary art festival. During two days, the public is invited to a free nighttime self-guided tour to discover approximately sixty locations in Nice: artists’ studios, private apartments, cultural or offbeat locations… even a fabulous abandoned mansion, the Villa Cameline. The purpose of this event is to have contemporary art leave its walls and make it more accessible through a surprising itinerary that shows today’s creation where it is not expected.

Art Schools and Institutes

The momentum continues at the Villa Arson, a national institute of contemporary art that churns out more provocative free-thinking artists every year.  They have a gallery and a monthly conference and film series open to the public.

Map courtesy of Wanderlog, a trip planner on iOS and Android

Photo credit: MAMAC, L’Artistique, Negresco Ballroom, and ‘Je Pisse…’ all by Best of Nice.  Tete Caree by Patrice Sameria licensed under Creative Commons.

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