After the lean times of lockdown, cultural life is catching its breath with this exhibition that honors a key figure, Jean Ferrero, a gallery owner and collector whose activities have, for decades, paralleled the school of Nice.
The opening of the exhibition “The Joyous Years. Jean Ferrero & friends: Armen, Ben, César, etc.” at the Masséna Museum, curated by Vincent Giovannoni, chief curator at MUCEM, with scenography by Isabelle Allegret, only serves to honor the quality of his collection and his generosity (he bequeathed a significant portion of his personal collection to the City).
The exhibition celebrates the exceptional career of Jean Ferrero, an instinctive photographer, atypical collector, and astute art dealer who, in his direct and jovial manner, embodies the memory of a glorious period of contemporary art in Nice, which still shapes the artistic identity of the city today.
A privileged witness to the adventure of this artistic movement in the Nice region since the late 1950s, Jean Ferrero experienced it up close with the artists he collected and showcased, with deep affinities particularly with Arman and César, of whom he was not only a dealer but also a friend and an active accomplice in the development of their work.
This exhibition thus presents the many surprising, iconoclastic facets of a man and an era, rich in unbridled freedom. It composes, in the manner of the Impressionists, the picture of Jean Ferrero’s connections to events, people, and art.
The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, was particularly gratified by this inauguration which embraces the symbolic value of a return to normalcy after the lockdown: “I am pleased tonight to present to the public the first major event of the summer: the exhibition ‘The Joyous Years’ by Jean Ferrero, who for the occasion has joined forces with his former friends, major art figures like Ben, Arman, and César.”
