When the future of the Station is uncertain, so too becomes that of contemporary art in Nice. At 10 Rue Moliรจre, the former asylum, which had been housing the heirs of the prestigious Villa Arson, is set to be demolished. In its place, a future Claude Pompidou institute for the care of people with Alzheimer’s disease. A noble cause and a project supported since its early days by the municipality. A problem for Cรฉdric Teisseire, co-founder of the association, once again forced to find refuge in premises borrowed from the CHU, located in Cantaron. The artists then fear becoming marginalized and seeing their activities decline rapidly. The head of the Station then makes an appeal to Christian Estrosi. And he aims to reassure: “I will not let you down. Nothing will be undertaken without a rewarding solution for the Station.”
Breakup
The move of the Station to Cantaron, about fifteen kilometers away, is only temporary. Cรฉdric Teisseire also speaks of a worrying breakup for the association. Until January 2009, contemporary art practitioners are forced to cease all activity. Indeed, the building, a former archive room, is intended to be more spacious than the previous one. It might potentially accommodate a larger number of artists but does not constitute an exhibition space in any way.
3 Weeks of Reflection
From then on, Christian Estrosi offered his services to prevent any mishap. Looking straight into Cรฉdric Teisseire’s eyes, he promised to work on founding a space dedicated to artistic creation in Nice and to deliver the results within a three-week time frame. “I want, first of all, the technical feasibility studies to be completed in terms of safety, accessibility, and urban coherence,” he said, “but I can tell you that this project will take into account the successes and failures of other cities.” The mayor of Nice identifies several “magical” places such as the Convent of the Visitation or the former slaughterhouses of Nice-East, abandoned, according to him, by his predecessors.
Christian Estrosi took the opportunity to present the creation of a new administrative structure concerning culture within the municipality. A cabinet oriented towards arts and events in Nice. “I want to make Nice a renowned artistic hub. A place where, as in the past, artists come to find inspiration.”
An enticing project for Cรฉdric Teisseire, who does not want promising elements to go to other regions. For now, the Station must play against time.
This video is from the site [Web TV Nice](https://www.webtvnice.com).
