The exhibition “César intime”, inaugurated on Tuesday at the CNIT and the Grande Arche at La Défense in Paris, is an example of artistic excellence and generosity of heart, with Jean Ferrero as its centerpiece, a framer and gallery owner, friend to many artists of the Nice school.
A unique if not singular character, Jean Ferrero donated to the City of Nice a collection of 853 works, now partially exhibited at the Mamac and the Espace Ferrero.
As for César, since 1994, La Défense has been displaying one of his masterful works – “Le Pouce” – on the Place Carpeaux, at the entrance of the CNIT, standing 12 meters high and weighing 18 tons.
Having settled in Paris in 1946, César, a fine arts student, would collect scrap metal which he welded, unable to afford marble. From “Compressions” to “Expansions,” he became a major figure in the New Realism movement. César had a studio in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. He also had one in Nice, where he shared memorable moments of life, of which Jean Ferrero was both a participant and a witness.
Thanks to Jean Ferrero, who agreed to open his personal archives with over 100 photographs and several films, this exceptional exhibition immerses us in the intimacy of César, revealing him with friends, family, at home, or in his studio… Unique and memorable slices of life that trace the artist’s significant moments, between Belle-de-Mai, Paris, and of course Nice.
The scenography of this “César Intime” is signed by Cino Zucchi, an architect and professor in Milan and Harvard, author of the Automobile Museum and the Lavazza Campus in Turin and curator of several international exhibitions.
Jean Ferrero also expressed his intention to make another donation to the City of Nice. This new collection will consist of “Art premier” works, mostly African and Oceanian, as Jean Ferrero, alongside his career as a gallery owner specializing in modern and contemporary art, always had a passion, shared with Arman, for this form of art.
The City of Nice accepted the donation principle during its council meeting on November 13, 2017. In 2019, a major exhibition around Jean Ferrero will take place in Nice, in the context of these two donations.
