As the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival turned the French Riviera into its annual epicenter of cinema and glamour, a new kind of sanctuary quietly emerged in the hills above the Croisette. Villa Montana, a historic estate nestled on 13,000 square meters of private land, became an invitation-only refuge for artists, creators, and cultural icons.
With curation by Whitewall Projects, and brought to life under the artistic direction of André Saraiva and scenographer Vincent Darré, the villa hosted a week of exclusive events blending cinema, music, design, and visual art culminating in a striking solo presentation by French artist William Macnad, and a spotlight on Aurélien Caoudal‘s bespoke backgammon table.
A New Cultural Blueprint in the Hills of Cannes
Courtesy of Villa Montana.
The Montana name has long been synonymous with Saint-Germain-des-Prés nightlife, but in Cannes, the brand redefined its identity — no longer just a place for parties, but a cultural stronghold. Villa Montana offered a holistic experience, far from the frenzy of the red carpet: 2,000 square meters of elegant living space, including 13 luxurious suites, a private projection room, exclusive bars, a heated pool, tennis court, spa, and a chef’s kitchen. All of it was imagined as a modern cultural bastion under the aesthetic eye of Darré, who infused the villa with eclectic decor that was at once surrealist, cinematic, and supremely French.
But what truly elevated the space was the curatorial vision developed in collaboration with Whitewall Projects. Known for redefining the intersection of art, design, and lifestyle, Whitewall transformed Villa Montana into a living gallery.
“Whitewall transformed Villa Montana into a living gallery,”
Throughout the villa’s interiors, a selection of recent works by William Macnad created a dialogue between the architecture of the space and the atmosphere of the region.
William Macnad: Architecture of Silence
Courtesy of Villa Montana, Cannes.
Macnad’s gestural canvases are often grounded in a natural and expressive palette of vivid and vibrant colors harmonized with the Mediterranean light flooding into the villa. Known for his meditative approach to painting, Macnad’s works here seemed to echo the quiet rhythm of the hills, offering moments of reflection in contrast to the visual overload of festival week.
Courtesy of Villa Montana, Cannes.
Courtesy of Villa Montana, Cannes.
Commissioned specifically for Villa Montana, the works were installed across private salons, hallways, and suites not in the manner of a white cube gallery, but in a way that integrated seamlessly into daily life. Guests lived with the art: dining next to it, waking up to it, discussing it late into the evening with the artist himself.
The Design of Play: Aurélien Caoudal’s Backgammon Table
“Bardot” at Villa Montana, photo by Alek Katar.
Courtesy of Villa Montana, Cannes.
Art took many forms at Villa Montana, but few objects captured guests’ attention like Aurélien Caoudal’s backgammon table. Crafted in marble, the piece sat proudly in the villa’s library, inviting both admiration and interaction.
Caoudal, whose Paris-based studio bridges collectible design and conceptual craft, described the piece as “a space for chance, strategy, and sensuality.” It quickly became a hub of activity, hosting informal games that continued well into the night, surrounded by glasses of champagne and the buzz of cinematic gossip.
Its presence exemplified Villa Montana’s curatorial ethos: design should not be ornamental, but lived. Just as Macnad’s paintings grounded the space in calm, Caoudal’s table invited guests into a ritual of connection, one move at a time.
A Living Salon for Art, Music, and Reflection
“Bardot” at Villa Montana, photo by Alek Katar.
From May 15 to 21, the villa hosted a series of daily and nightly activations, from jam sessions by resident musicians Romain Pinsolle and Charlie Berry Junior, to member-only poolside lunches and brand collaborations featuring film junkets and bespoke dinners. Music, curated with the spirit of improvisation, rang out into the early hour—a reminder that the most memorable experiences in Cannes often happen off-camera.
“Bardot” at Villa Montana, photo by Alek Katar.
“Bardot” at Villa Montana, photo by Alek Katar.
The programming also underscored a deeper ambition: to foster conversation around societal change. Charity dinners, intimate talks, and debates brought together influencers, directors, and philanthropists, positioning the villa not just as a retreat, but as a platform for meaningful exchange.
A Future Vision of Cultural Hospitality
Courtesy of Villa Montana.
Ultimately, Villa Montana was more than an address, it was a concept. Under the creative direction of André Saraiva and the decorative imagination of Vincent Darré, the villa exemplified a new kind of cultural hospitality: private yet open, elegant yet experimental, intimate yet inclusive.
“The programming also underscored a deeper ambition: to foster conversation around societal change,”
With Whitewall Projects’ curatorial guidance, it became a blueprint for what such spaces can offer not simply as stages for brands or venues for parties, but as multidimensional environments where art and life intersect.
As the final guests departed and the villa’s gates quietly closed on the last day of the festival, one thing was clear: in the chaos of Cannes, Villa Montana offered a moment of clarity, a breath of artful air high above the Croisette.
“Bardot” at Villa Montana, photo by Alek Katar.
