From retrospectives of great masters to bold experiments by contemporary artists, art is once again taking center stage this spring. Our selection of the season’s most striking and significant art exhibitions is a must-see for anyone who says “I love art.”
The infinitely delicate landscapes by Giacomo Costa at the “NM Contemporary” in Monaco
Until April 30
Hard to tell whether it is the earth that is moving, or we are feeling dizzy, or hypnotized. One thing is certain, indifference is not an option. As soon as we set our foot in here, we stay speechless. A magnetic force is emanating from these “infinitely delicate” landscapes by Giacomo Costa exhibited at the “NM Contemporary” gallery. An urban architecture that may have been cold, impersonal, even invasive is yet revealing little life scenes behind the curtains, we are guessing. These large-scale compositions, the result of Benedictine work, are generated by advanced digital technologies. And yet the vision, design and incredible detail may only come from the artist’s mind and hand. To conceive his “Blocks” Giacomo Costa is using a new creative process that required several years of study, developing an algorithm of his own.
“The idea of generating worlds through rules and data produces highly random scenarios, leaving me an artistic freedom to virtually photograph a world that I myself created… Being at the origin of the scenario, to obtain the images, I must explore these worlds as if it were a photographic report, discovering unexpected angles, glimpses and places,” says the artist.
Giacomo Costa has a broad, architectural vision of things, yet every detail takes on vital importance. No element is repetitive, even if that may be the first impression when contemplating the composition in its entirety. The very concept of the technique arises here under a new light. New means of production, however, will never replace the individual vision of the artist. This exhibition of gigantic buildings somehow gives a breath of fresh air. Rare and surprising.
Giacomo Costa. “Infinitely delicate landscapes”
NM Contemporary
17, rue de la Turbie, Monaco
Tel.: +377 9798 0642
Josephine reborn in Barbara Chase-Riboud’s bronze sculptures at Hauser § Wirth, in Monaco
Until June 14
Hauser & Wirth in Monaco is paying a magnificent tribute to a legendary figure of our time. The gallery is offering its sun-bathed spaces to Barbara Chase-Riboud’s sculptures bringing to life the great Josephine Baker. A singer, cabaret dancer, icon of the Roaring Twenties but also a great Resistance fighter and an anti-racist activist, she is the only woman of colour to have entered Pantheon in November 2021. Barbara met Josephine backstage in 1975 at the Bobino in Paris during her very last concert. Years later, she attended Josephine’s pantheonization ceremony. Inspired by these very moving moments, the artist later created these particular sculptures. Magnificent bronzes with their incredible patinas truly embody the movement, dynamism and elegance of Josephine Baker. The music hall star comes back to life in black and red. These two monumental creations combine the rigidity of metal and the fluidity of sumptuous textiles. Braided ropes of wool and silk dressing the metal give it a genuine choreographic momentum.
Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth
“I felt a lot of similarities between my life and that of Josephine. For me, she was the very embodiment of movement, jazz. These two sculptures were first placed at the back of the gallery against the walls. But I wanted to move them right in the middle to let them dance”. Two metres high, they both sit on a platform evoking a stage. Although abstract, they are an obvious demonstration of Josephine’s flexibility and grace.
The sculptures are highlighted by a selection of white, incredibly delicate monochrome creations. Resulting from a technique perfected by Barbara Chase-Riboud over the last 50 years, these compositions combine sculptural relief and design, embroidering the silk thread on paper. A vibrant evocation of hieroglyphics following the sculptor’s memorable trip to Egypt.
Here you may also consult the Société des Bains de Mer archives. Josephine Baker (resting in peace in Monaco) has truly forged links with the Principality. Having performed in 1969 at the Monaco Red Cross gala, she was very close to Princess Grace. The exhibition is also tracing this beautiful friendship.
Barbara Chase-Riboud. “The Josephines”
Hauser & Wirth
Place du Casino, Monaco
Monet to Picasso, the Nahmad collection masterpieces in Giverny
Until June 29
Explore this predestined, emblematic place. This spring, the Impressionist Museum in Giverny is showcasing one of the most prestigious exhibitions of our time. Since the 1960s, driven by a genuine passion, David Nahmad and his brother Ezra have built up a unique masterpiece collection.
Just listen to him explain the history of his paintings, in every single detail, to understand just how much a passion for art is driving this extraordinary collector. His success is rooted in a flair, a profound respect for the artists and a solid knowledge of art history. When you are an art collector of this scale, you necessarily are very generous. The Nahmad collection is therefore travelling all over the world. This time it is coming to France, to the utter delight of art lovers.
In Monaco, Picasso and Monet paintings have already been exhibited on several occasions, with David Nahmad promptly nicknamed “sharer of beauty”.
This time, masters of Impressionism are truly in the spotlight. A unique scenography has been conceived, introducing its precursors, Eugène Delacroix, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Alfred Sisley. Too often relegated to second roles, his luminous landscapes of the Seine and the Loire are demonstrating his major role in this great artistic movement.
A “painter of the humble”, Camille Pissarro is unveiling some poetic scenes, bringing to life peasants and workers. As to Edgar Degas, he is inviting us to contemplate dancers and bathers in his vibrant pastels, while his horse sculptures reveal yet another facet of his talent. A master of delicate female portraits, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, is seducing us with the warmth and human touch emanating from his paintings.
The central figure of the exhibition, Claude Monet, truly embodies the soul of Impressionism and its evolution towards modernity. From the landscapes of Argenteuil to the mythical Water Lilies, via his Norwegian fjord travels, his paintings capture a light and an emotion that transcend their time.
Take a fascinating journey through this place, a renowned home of the Impressionists. Thanks to Claude Monet who painted his Water Lilies series here, this small Norman village has acquired an international reputation. This exceptional exhibition is bound to attract art enthusiasts from all over the world.
The Nahmad Collection. Monet to Picasso
The Museum of Impressionists in Giverny
99, rue Claude Monet, Giverny (half way between Paris and Rouen)
Dufy at the Museum of Fine Arts in Nice, in colour and music
Until September 28
Normandy and the French Riviera, cottony landscapes and the lush gardens, soft tones and vibrant colours. Raoul Dufy has followed a path strewn with trial and error, artistic experimentation, attempting different forms and colours. It has eventually resulted in the solar painting introduced to us by the Museum of Fine Arts in Nice. Here we are witnessing the evolution of an artist profoundly marked by Cézanne and Matisse, trying his hand at ceramics and tapestry, influenced by fauvism, in his search of musicality.
For him, it is all about finding the tones for melodies, making colours vibrate, composing a canvas as if it were a symphony. “The Miracle of Imagination” (the exhibition is promptly called) transfigures reality, breaking free from rules and opening ways to new pictorial compositions. A freedom that encouraged Raoul Dufy to illustrate Apollinaire’s poems, to explore engraving, ceramics, decoration. The exhibition in Nice is revealing so many creative impulses, allowing us to discover the artist’s lesser-known works. Painted in 1927, “Homage to Claude Lorrain” is flooded with a dominant deep black which, paradoxically, brings out a fascinating light, contrasting with touches of dazzling white. Take your time to explore and contemplate.
Raoul Dufy. “The Miracle of Imagination”
Jules Chéret Museum of Fine Arts
33, avenue des Baumettes, Nice
