Inauguration of the sculpture “Secret Point,” a unique and monumental work created by the artist FARHI and installed at the Trious roundabout in Saint-Paul de Vence.
– In Saint Paul de Vence, art has long been a way of life.
Many artists have chosen to live there, like Chagall, who resided in the town for 25 years, or Tobiasse, who continues to create there.
Since 2000, “The Circle of Artists of Saint-Paul de Vence” was founded with the aim of promoting artistic creation considered as the human expression of imagination and the soul.
Through the chosen material, its dimensions, the contemporary work perfectly integrated into the place recalls the rich artistic past of the town while signaling that artistic creation remains alive there.
- The project immediately won over the town council.
As a symbol of a bridge between yesterday and today, “Secret Point” now offers a new perspective at the entrance of this famous village, attracting tourists from all over the world.
Thanks to FARHI’s talent and the support of the municipality, particularly its Mayor, Mr. Renรฉ BURON, Saint-Paul de Vence stands out once again as one of the essential and reference places for all contemporary art enthusiasts.
– JEAN CLAUDE FARHI
FARHI (first name Jean Claude) was born in Paris in 1940, to a Turkish father and a Spanish mother. His father sold carpets, antiques, and porcelain at the time.
In 1946, following the world war, the family emigrated to Colombia, in Bogotรก, where his father opened a shoe store. Jean Claude began schooling which he left very early to work in his parents’ store.
His encounter in 1956 with the painter Antonia Ascona was significant as he introduced him to the art of drawing.
A year later, the family decided to return to France and landed in Nice; Farhi was 17 years old and then began taking odd jobs while attending classes at the Arts Dรฉco in Nice; he mingled with Martial Raysse and Daniela Girandy (future curator of the Picasso Museum in Antibes).
1959: First solo exhibition at the cafรฉ Le Relax.
The opportunity for him to meet Arman and Cรฉsar, two artists who impressed him with their work.
1965: “Relief Planรฉtaire” exhibition at Galerie Du Damier in Paris, sculptures in dough embedded with metal objects.
1966: Presentation of “Motorcolors,” still on the same artistic basis.
From 1967, he began to introduce plastic material into his
sculptures. This technique naturally led him to produce works
entirely made from polymethyl methacrylate or Plexiglas.
That same year, he acquired his studio in Tourrettes-sur-Loup and
started collaborating as an assistant alongside the sculptor Cรฉsar,
traveling with him across Europe.
He also created his own works and, thanks to the sculptor Gino Marota, he had his famous Plexiglas columns manufactured at the Polivar factory in Rome, specialized in the plastic industry.
In 1969, he visited New York with Arman and was charmed by Big Apple where he would frequently return, eventually settling in Soho for several years.
Meanwhile, from 1973, a retrospective was organized at the Maeght Foundation.
FARHI fully mastered his “Plastic Art” and with the encouragement of his mentors such as Arman, he soon signed large-sized pieces, columns, steles, and discs.
In 1985, he participated in the inauguration of the Nice convention center with “Colorful Island,” the last in the series of his large columns.
Then he settled back in his studio near Saint-Paul de Vence.
December 4, 1990, marked an important date with the hanging of his work “Dissemination” on the faรงade of the Nice-Arenas hotel facing Nice airport: 4 m high, 18.75 m long and 31 tonnes, it’s the largest sculpture made of “perspex” (a type of plastic).
In the 1990s, he began using a new material and directed his work towards large-scale creations in Corten steel, more resistant for designing works exposed outdoors.
He created monumental works installed in China, America, etc. Since then, raw steel has been the basis of his work.
October 7, 2011: the inauguration of “Secret Point” at the entrance of Saint-Paul de Vence is for him a real joy to see his artistic work once again recognized and acclaimed.
