After two successful initial exhibitions, Maxime Roussel is getting ready to unveil a brand new one, “Clap and pop by MK,” for a month at Nice Etoile. The young man’s dream is gradually taking shape. The ultimate stage dreamed of by the Nice collector would be to one day open an immersive museum about cinema in his beloved city.
Explore a world where the magic of cinema comes to life. Maxime Roussel reveals his ambitious project for an immersive museum in Nice. A unique experience for the people of Nice. “Every day that passes, I think about this future project.” From the age of 7, a special relationship formed between his world and that of cinema. Last year, through incredible encounters, he was able to set up his first exhibition, “MK Studio.” Between his second exhibition at the fantasy film festival in Menton and the upcoming one, the young man reveals the behind-the-scenes of his cinephile universe and the aspirations of his project.
Following this first exhibition “MK Studio”, what was the audience’s feedback?
The feedback was great, very positive. We received between 3,000 and 4,000 people. You can feel there’s a real demand from the public. In terms of movies, series, people want to see them. There’s really something to be done in Nice for this kind of project.
What can we expect from this new exhibition “Clap and pop by MK Studio” soon to be open to the public?
For this exhibition at Nice Etoile, in collaboration with an exhibitor, a collector of antique objects in the “pop art” style from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. We will try to create a positive evolution compared to the previous exhibition. There will be new pieces, more objects, better showcased. In exclusivity, there will be the first piece from a movie, Tim Burton’s chimpanzee mask from 2001, used for the film.
When did the idea to create an immersive museum come to you? And are there any particular inspirations, specific film genres influencing this concept?
When I held my first exhibition, I received the first positive feedback, and it was at that moment that the idea came to me. I have already started buying real objects from films, Hollywood productions. It’s the big classics like Alien, Jaws that inspired me. All these films that have marked many generations. I have always loved film objects. This is what has really fascinated me since I was a child. I have always dreamed of having John Hammond’s cane (Richard Attenborough in Jurassic Park 1993, Ed.). I have always wanted to own this kind of object.
What will be the uniqueness of this museum?
We are working on the decoration. Everything that is visual, sound, olfactory, with extraordinary pieces, busts… Rare, numbered collection objects in the world. We aspire to buy this type of products, storyboards… Everything signed by the technical crews, whether it is Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park… I have also started buying scripts from series like Friends, Breaking Bad, or Game of Thrones. I have a script of Home Alone, for instance. The goal will be to combine all this with exceptional decoration, playful visual effects to create something incredible.
“This has never been done anywhere else in the world.”
Why did you choose Nice as the location?
Well, I am from Nice. I have worked at the Negresco Hotel for 14 years, and I love this city. There is a lot of cinematic history in the region, especially related to the Victorine studios. Even though Cannes is nearby, I think Nice also deserves its own cinema museum. The goal, in the future, is to gain credibility in terms of a museum, to be able to take a piece of cinema history and put it in our region.
Do you already have certain types of movie scenes in mind to make the experience truly immersive?
I already have several scenes in mind; I started working on the staging during my exhibitions. It will really be a mix of immersion, between movie scenes and very specific decoration. We want to emphasize this point; it can allow the busts to be highlighted. This has never been done anywhere else in the world in terms of collection. The experience could be unique.
What should the public take away from this experience?
Everything! The experience itself. When visitors leave, I want them to think, “We experienced something incredible, we need to come back soon.” We want to transport the public, to make them dream. Especially in this current period, which is very challenging for everyone. When you walk through the door, you enter my cinema universe.
Maxime has become professional, but he is still looking for donations, people interested in the project, investors who can help him take a step forward. Also in search of new members, he is about to create an association around cinema, series, and professions related to this universe.
From February 10 to March 10, 2024, on the first floor of the Nice Etoile shopping center, the people of Nice will be able to attend this exhibition for free. Enthusiasts or casual cinema lovers, everyone will have the chance to discover this world from a different perspective.
