On the occasion of the 29th Heritage Days (September 15 and 16), Villa Arson invites you to discover its site, gardens and terraces, its history and architecture—labeled as 20th-century heritage—and particularly the connection it has maintained with heritage as an institution dedicated to art for forty years, bringing together a national advanced art school, a contemporary art center, and a media library.
Situated on the hill of Saint-Barthélémy, Villa Arson occupies an extensive estate of over two hectares offering an exceptional panorama of the city of Nice and the Bay of Angels.
This unique architectural ensemble, erected in the middle of a Mediterranean garden, encompasses the former 19th-century residence of the Arson family, now embedded in modern concrete and pebble constructions designed in the 1960s by architect Michel Marot. The reopening to the public, after rehabilitation work, of the 4,500 m² of terraces—a true hanging garden and belvedere over the city—constitutes one of the highlights of this discovery.
The national theme for the 2012 edition “Hidden Heritage” also offers the opportunity to discover the exhibition “To Deliberate Life! A history of performance on the French Riviera from 1951 to 2011” in a unique way, revealing hidden stories and testimonies of this adventure.
The program includes: discovery tours and guided visits of the site, architecture, gardens, and terraces; a commented tour and meeting with performance artists around the current exhibition on the history of performance; discovery of the media library and its collections; an interactive model of Villa Arson in 3D images; visits to the art center’s exhibitions and graduates of the school.
