The Alpes-Maritimes Department presents two complementary exhibitions in Nice. At the Lympia Cultural Space, Salvador Dalí: Divine Creatures explores the bestiary of the Spanish artist. At the Departmental Museum of Asian Arts, Sumō – Absolute Balance delves into Japanese culture through the gestures and traditions of this sport. Two free proposals, accessible to all, until 2026.
The Alpes-Maritimes Department offers in Nice two exhibitions that complement each other without merging. On one side, the surreal universe of Salvador Dalí with his animal figures. On the other, the disciplined world of Japanese sumō. Two distant worlds, united by a common theme: the body, its forms, its postures, and its symbols.
At the Lympia Departmental Cultural Space, Salvador Dalí: Divine Creatures invites you to explore an unusual bestiary. The exhibition features 96 works: paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and films. Dalí is revealed as an attentive observer of the living world. His ants, elephants, or chimeras reflect a fascination with metamorphosis and fragility. Each room questions the place of the animal in the artist’s imagination.
The journey, designed by Jean-Michel Bouhours, former curator at the Centre Pompidou, highlights the coherence of a universe where science, dreams, and mythology intersect. The exhibition is easy to navigate. The thematic sections guide the visitor without overwhelming them. Short and precise texts accompany the works without diminishing their impact.
In parallel, the Departmental Museum of Asian Arts, located at Nice Arénas, presents Sumō – Absolute Balance. Visitors discover a different approach to the body: disciplined, codified, ritualistic. Sumō, a traditional Japanese sport, is observed through 150 works, photographs, prints, and objects.
Sumō: The Ritual of the Everyday
The exhibition Sumō – Absolute Balance focuses on telling the lives of wrestlers, the rikishi, through two perspectives. One of French photographer Philippe Marinig, and the other of the Japanese master of contemporary printmaking Daimon Kinoshita.
Philippe Marinig followed the wrestlers for nearly two decades in their heya, the training houses. His 80 photographs show the athletes’ daily lives, their precise gestures, and their concentration. They also capture moments of calm, meals, and mental preparation. Each image refers to a discipline that transcends the sporting context.
Opposite these snapshots, 40 prints and paintings by Kinoshita recall the historical depth of this practice. Born in 1946 in Hokkaido, the artist perpetuates traditional woodblock printing techniques. His works depict sumō as an ancient art, linked to Japanese beliefs and culture. Together, they compose a journey through time, from the Edo period to today.
The journey goes beyond observation. The museum offers family workshops, sumō initiations, and manga courses. These events aim to connect Japanese culture to a direct experience of gesture and ritual.
Two Places, One Same Openness
These two exhibitions, accessible for free, are part of a shared goal: making art and culture accessible to all. The Lympia Space, at Nice Port, welcomes the public until November 23, 2025. The Asian Arts Museum extends its exhibition until February 1, 2026.
Between Dalí and sumō, the encounter seems unlikely. Yet, a dialogue emerges. In both cases, the body becomes a language. It unfolds between strength and fragility, between dream and discipline. The visitor moves from one shore to another, from one form of expression to another, in a constant movement of attention and curiosity.
Practical Information
Salvador Dalí: Divine Creatures — Lympia Departmental Cultural Space, Nice Port.
From July 19 to November 23, 2025.
Open from 10 am to 5 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday.
More information: espacelympia.departement06.fr
Sumō: Absolute Balance — Departmental Museum of Asian Arts, Nice Arénas.
From August 2, 2025, to February 1, 2026.
Free entry, closed on Tuesday.
More information: maa.departement06.fr
