The Hotel de Caumont has been open for 5 years now as an arts centre, and this current exhibition,’ Nicolas de Stael in Provence’ has to be the best I have seen here. It focuses on the short time this interesting painter spent in Provence, July 1953-June 1854, when he discovered the …

The Foundation Carmignac opened to the public on June 1st. This display of modern art is in a vast (1500 sqm) gallery inside a Provencal villa on the beautiful island of Porquerolles. Financier Edouard Carmignac has put the collection together. It includes works from the American Pop Art School, including …

The Paul Cézanne statue at the Rotonde in Aix is the work of Dutch sculptor Gabriël Sterk who not only produced it but also organized its funding: when I interviewed him at the time, he explained that he had recently moved to the town and couldn’t understand why there was …

Artistic Menerbes Once you have visited the hilltop village of Menerbes, it is easy to understand why the Luberon and this town has enchanted so many. The charming main street compels you to pause and wander through an art gallery, or have a drink at one of the restaurants, particularly …

Situated on the southeast coast of the French Riviera, Nice, France hardly needs an introduction as one of the most beautiful and sophisticated regions in the world. Nice is the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes Cote d’Azur – often referred to as the Queen of the French Riviera. Whether you …

Just announced, an exhibition of the work of Ai Weiwei, opening at MuCEM on June 20th in Marseille. Having seen his show at the Royal Academy in London last year, I expect it will be stimulating and baffling…but unmissable.  According to MuCEM, they will be adding objects from their permanent …

It was Renoir’s birthday on February 25th, which has prompted me to write a little about his final home at Cagnes-sur-Mer, now the Musée Renoir. It’s easily do-able from Aix and a must once this wave of cold weather has ended. A sunny day is ideal as the views from his …

Two exhibitions, both dedicated to Picasso, are now open in Marseille as part of the ‘Picasso-Méditerranée 2017-2019′ cultural programme. (These join the other Picasso-orientated shows, which I list further down this post.) ‘Picasso et Les Ballets Russes, entre Italie et Espagne’ focuses on four productions by Serge Diaghilev for which …

Just opened, and with perfect timing to catch the wave of ‘Quel Amour’, the new exhibition at Marseille’s Musée Regards de Provence illustrates the relationship between the artist and his or her muse. “The modern muse has this irresistible faculty to appeal to the artist and often to his heart, …

The new ‘Quel Amour’ programme launched on February 14 and runs until September 1, 2018. This is the 7-month cultural extravaganza planned by the MP2018 committee who were inspired by the European Year of Culture back in 2013 which did so much to galvanise the arts scene in Marseille-Provence. Continue …