Exhibition: LEVITATION by Mathieu Forget, a reflection on freedom

Mathieu Forget presented ten years of images in “levitation” in Nice, a work where he suspends his body to evoke freedom and creative momentum. The opening at the Charles Nègre photography museum brought together an audience moved by the poetry of his works and by his artist’s story.

This Friday, June 12, the Charles Nègre photography museum welcomed the first retrospective of Mathieu Forget. An exhibition titled LEVITATION in 80 images that attracted around a hundred people who came to admire photos that stage space and levitation. A dancer and photographer, Mathieu Forget spent ten years photographing himself suspended in the air, traveling through New York and Tokyo to Antarctica. Nicknamed “The Flying Man,” he invites Nice residents to observe his art until September 27 at the Charles Nègre photography museum.

A solemn ceremony

The brass band opened the opening with many musical pieces, including La Marseillaise, accompanying the crowd who rushed to sit and listen to the opening speeches. The speeches set the scene: Stéphane Tallon, director of the museum, immediately described Mathieu Forget as a “true UFO in the landscape of contemporary creation.”

For his part, Mathieu Forget announced, smiling and satisfied, that “it’s ten years of work through the air, but I think there will be many other things to tell after that.”

Eric Ciotti, accompanied by his cultural deputy, Auguste Verola, closed the ceremony by thanking the artist for choosing Nice to exhibit his art filled with freedom. The city official marked the occasion with an official gesture, presenting Mathieu Forget with a souvenir of the city.

An art intended as a symbol of freedom

Eighty works are spread across several spaces, athletic bodies inspired by the 2024 Olympics, to Antarctic ice landscapes through Japan and the architectures of New York and Istanbul.

In the photos, the artist is systematically in levitation, as if time had frozen in the air. A captured moment that gives the sensation that he is flying, breaking the chains that kept him on the ground. A room is reserved for viewing a series of 25-minute photographs, complemented by a QR code that allowed visitors to activate augmented reality on their smartphone and thus see the photos come to life.

The artist himself guided the visitors, accompanied by Eric Ciotti and the museum director. Stopping at Superman’s Fist, a founding image that triggered everything, or at a photograph taken on a Turkish lake where the water’s reflection gave the illusion of walking on it.

Because “we can all fly on our own wings”

When asked about the meaning behind his images, Mathieu Forget replies that his work “speaks of freedom, of not limiting yourself, of being able to live from your passion.” Having left at age 18 for the United States, he discovered photography and dance there, never knowing which to choose. In this sense, he encourages us: “I know it’s a bit of a cliché what I’m saying, but I think we can all fly on our own wings.”

As for his method, the artist acknowledges that “for a beautiful shot, I take between three and eight takes. And very often, it’s the first four that are the best.”

Mathieu Forget says he always leaves room for improvisation, particularly in inspiration, “it comes from somewhere: sometimes it’s the place, sometimes an outfit, an encounter.” At Roland-Garros, it was the red clay that triggered everything. He builds the frame, chooses the angle, then lets movement arrive. Through experience, “I try to really leave room for the magic of the moment,” he explained.

Works that touch each visitor

At the exit, visitors each put different words to the same emotion. Luna, a student, had discovered the artist on social media before coming without really knowing what to expect: “I find that it questions something within yourself. It’s very beautiful and very inspiring, even with the fact that he shoots with an iPhone.” The latter also reveals that her favorite was the photo of Victoria Dauberville, the artist’s companion, a classical dancer, taken on the bow of a boat.

Gisèle and Caroline, both photographers, had already attended a masterclass by the artist at the Photo Fair. For Gisèle, “it’s very airy, very free, you travel through these photos.” Caroline won’t forget the image where the artist finds himself horizontal above a hedge, alongside an athlete in mid-jump. “When I see him like that, that’s what impresses me the most.” Not to mention “the little film too with all the behind-the-scenes, you really realize there’s no editing and it’s exceptional work,” she adds.

The evening ended with a signing session. And for those who want to go further: Monday, June 15, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Mathieu Forget will make passersby levitate on the Quai des États-Unis.