After more than a year of waiting since Éric Mangion’s departure to the Frac Occitanie in Montpellier, the Villa Arson art center in Nice welcomes a new director. Marie-Ann Yemsi, a recognized figure in contemporary art, will assume her duties on September 4, 2023, with an ambitious project focused on inclusivity and the reinvention of art.
Marie-Ann Yemsi, an exhibition curator and contemporary art consultant, succeeds Éric Mangion at the helm of the Villa Arson art center in Nice. She is scheduled to take office on September 4. This appointment was decided by a committee composed of representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the DRAC PACA, and art world experts.
An International Career in Contemporary Art
At 47, Marie-Ann Yemsi is a recognized figure in the field of contemporary art. She has organized numerous international exhibitions, notably “Ubuntu, A Lucid Dream” at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. She also directed the African Photography Biennale in Bamako in 2017-2018. Her work highlights emerging artists from the African continent and its diasporas.
An Ambitious Project for Villa Arson
For Villa Arson, Marie-Ann Yemsi proposes a project entitled “Faire Monde(s)”. This project aims to make art an essential common good. It relies on artistic diversity and practices of inclusivity and hospitality within the institution. Yemsi also wishes to strengthen regional collaborations, especially with the University of Côte d’Azur and other local cultural institutions.
Art in the Service of Reality
Marie-Ann Yemsi sees art as a means to engage with contemporary issues. Her ambition is to make Villa Arson a place where artists can address social, political, and environmental questions. For her, art should not only reflect the current world but also play an active role in its transformation.
