A childlike blue bear sculpture now stands in the Magnan district of Nice. Here’s what it’s all about.
It is called “Anoufa Bear” and its creator is a man named Ylan Anoufa. The French artist and designer, founder of the Maison Anoufa Haute Couture, has international acclaim.
He is widely known for his iconic geometric bears. These fun and unique sculptures have traveled around the world to be displayed in public spaces in Paris, Los Angeles, Marbella, and Hong Kong.
Made from aluminum, bronze, or various other metals, they come in different colors and sizes. This large blue metal bear, over four meters tall, installed in Nice West, is valued at 350,000 euros. It is a gift from the artist Ylan Anoufa.
Like its companions, its fur features graphic inscriptions and graffiti inspired by childhood memories. The artist always wishes to convey a message of hope while telling a story.
A bear to bring a smile to children on their way to school
This work was installed on November 19th in the Jules Massiera garden, created by the municipality last August following requalification work on this space at the heart of traffic. But the blue bear was not placed here by chance.
Sitting calmly atop the Magnan crossroads, the bear is located a few hundred meters from three schools: Sainte-Thérèse School, Fiori School, and Saint-Pierre d’Arènes School. For the city of Nice, it was “the ideal place to install the Anoufa Bear, thus brightening up the school route for many ‘Pitchouï’”.
“Anoufa Bear was imagined to convey a message of promoting creativity and encouraging artistic creation for children. Values shared by the City of Nice, which wishes for art, in all its forms, to be accessible to all audiences, including the youngest,” said Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice.
