South of France 2.0
Last year, we made our way across the Côte d’Azur, visiting the surroundings of Saint-Tropez, Saint Paul de Vence and Monaco. This time, we headed for the west side of Provence to immerse ourselves in the most beautiful landscapes and artistic beauty the region has to offer.
Bastille Day and trip aboard Genius
Just like last year, we started in Saint-Tropez to celebrate July 14th with a big bang! The city organized spectacular fireworks for which we had first row seats. This was an hectic start to the week with our friends but we managed to get some good rest the next morning as we set sail to the island of Porquerolles.
Visit of the Vertigo exhibition at the Carmignac Foundation with Charles Carmignac
After a warm welcome by Charles Carmignac, we took off our shoes to explore the Vertigo exhibition exploring connections between the perception of natural phenomena and abstract art post-1950. We walked around works by Yves Klein, James Turell, Gerhard Richter, Alexander Calder but also Oliver Beer whom as you remember, we met in London just a few months ago.
Mas du Langoustier & island times
What is an International Board journey if it is not for the great meals and festivities that we all love to share after a busy day visiting all the cultural sites! We ended the day in Porquerolles with a sumptuous sunset and a joyful dinner at the Mas du Langoustier.
Château La Coste
We arrived at midday at the Chateau La Coste, a breathtaking location for all art enthusiasts. What’s more, we had the opportunity to meet with Daniel Kennedy, the artistic director of the in-situ art center. We enjoyed a thorough visit with our private golf carts and of course some relaxing time at the Chateau’s beautiful pool and gardens. This summer, the Château La Coste presented 4 temporary exhibitions ; in the outstanding suspended gallery by Richard Rogers, we saw a very humorous proposition by Sophie Calle. She skilfully blended the world of hunting with that of the conquest of love, bringing together photographs and texts. We discovered the work of the korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun, a leading figure in the Dansaekhwa movement of monochrome painting. In the Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium, a Ralph Pucci exhibition focused on a series of sculptural works created by leading artists and designers in Plasterglass, a material invented and patented by Ralph Pucci in his New York studio and factory.
Because Château La Coste is a place where art and architecture work together, we got the opportunity to see from up close the work of world renowned architect like Tadao Ando, Frank Gehry, Oscar Niemeyer and Jean Nouvel but also monumental sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, Liam Gillick, Kengo Kuma, Richard Long, Annie Morris, Prune Nourry, Sean Scully and many more…
As a cherry on the top, we saw Damien Hirst’s new project opening soon in the forest nearby and met with Paddy McKillen - the owner and founder of this extraordinary institution.
In the evening, we had a cheerful dinner at the Francis Mallmann restaurant with a lot of laughter and good wine.
Cézanne exhibition at Musée Granet & Jas-de-Bouffan
Welcomed by Bruno Ely, head curator of the Musée Granet, our group had the rare opportunity to experience the record-breaking exhibition that brought together the largest number of Cézanne paintings ever displayed in France. Mr. Ely gave us a fantastic visit where we learned a lot about the artist, mainly about his transition period from impressionism to a revolutionary-at-the-time more abstract ways of painting. Unfortunately we found out that it will be his last year leading the museum, we got lucky to meet him just now! The musée Granet was established in 1838 within the former priory of the Church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte. It was named after painter François Marius Granet, who donated a significant part of his collection to the institution. Over the years, the museum has expanded its holdings through notable acquisitions and loans, becoming one of the leading art museums in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region
Following our visit, we sneaked inside Cézannes’ old property, the Jas-de-Bouffan, to explore the garden and see the iconic house where he lived until he was 40 years old with his father, a famous banker at the time and his mother, Anne Aubert.
First steps in Arles
We first checked-into the most original Arlatan hotel - nestled in the heart of Arles' historical center. The Arlatan is a dazzling blend of heritage and contemporary art. Restored by artist Jorge Pardo, the 15th-century building has been transformed into a vibrant colourful, mosaic-filled masterpiece where every hallway, room, and courtyard tells a different story.
Our first visit in Arles was the remarkable Luma Foundation, where we explored its rich and multifaceted artistic program. We were welcomed by none other than the founder Maja Hoffmann herself and her artistic director Vassilis Oikonomopoulos, before embarking on a 2 hours tour of the expansive creative campus. I have personally been amazed by the main exhibition entitled "L’été se termine" interconnecting immersive installations, sculpture, painting and photography from over 50 contemporary artists from the Fondation Beyeler and LUMA Foundation. We also visited the exhibitions of David Armstrong and Peter Fischli - two “must see” that definitely did not disappoint.
Sigmar Polke at Fondation Vincent van Gogh
We started our last day with a tour of the Sigmar Polke exhibition presented at Fondation Vincent Van Gogh where Margaux Bonopera, co-curator led us through this retrospective presented for the first time in France since 2014.
Private tour of the Lee Ufan Foundation
Our second stop that morning was the Lee Ufan foundation where an extended tour allowed us to see a rare gathering of Lee Ufan woks as well as a conversation piece with Michelangelo Pistoletto. We made a great discovery with the work of Caroline Corbasson, winner of the second edition of the Art & Environnement prize held by the foundation in collaboration with Maison Guerlain.
Les Rencontres de la Photographie with Christoph Wiesner
We had the great honour of meeting with Christoph Wiesner, head of the Rencontres d’Arles, one of the world’s most renowned international photography festivals. He introduced us to this year’s season as well as the main exhibition highlighting old and new relationships between Country and colonialism, community, and identity in Australia today. Afterwards, we took a stroll within the beautiful streets of Arles, saw the ancient city and ventured into the Eglise Saint-Blaise for the latest Nan Goldin movie “Syndrome de Stendhal”, my personal highlight for this journey.
At the end of the day, Nathalie Guiot greeted us at her Fondation Thalie and her daughter kindly gave us a tour of their ongoing exhibition “Géologie des âmes”, one of the most beautiful side show in Arles. We were able to mingle with local artists and gallerists on the occasion of a cocktail that she organized.
My conclusion
The South of France never misses! It was such a pleasure to lure some of you there and discover the wide cultural offer of this beautiful region. Thank you for sharing these moments with me and I wish you all a splendid summer. I look forward to seeing you in Paris for Art Basel in October!