If you happen to be spending your summer on the French Riviera, Whitewaller recommends paying a visit to these installations and exhibitions, on view at Chateau de Marres., Chateau La Coste., and Domaine du Muy.
Philippe Pastor: The Burned Trees Project
Chateau de Marres
Now—2020
On view for the summer season at Chateau des Marres is a fresh iteration of Philippe Pastor’s The Burned Trees, featuring a suite of 15 sculptures. In 2003, the artist began the series, which he made from the scorched woods of Massif des Maures as a reaction to the forest fires in the South of France. In the following years, Pastor has continued the project as a testament to his commitment to the planet, partnering with the United Nations and other organizations, displaying his sculptures worldwide, and moving on to create Monaco’s Art & Environment Association.
Chateau La Coste
Taizo Kuroda
Now—August 13
Ceramicist Taizo Kuroda’s first solo exhibition in France—on view at Chateau La Coste’s Renzo Piano pavilion—features a Japanese-style presentation of Kuroda’s milky white, minimalistic creations displayed in an environment made to allow viewers to meditate on the work. Kuroda has developed his own signature technique (using traditions of Japan, as well as Chinese and Korean prototypes) that brings to light the artist’s delicate touch and maximum control of his medium.
Michel van der Aa: Eight
Now—July 31
Also at Chateau La Coste, the establishment has partnered with Festival d’Aix and the double A Foundation to present Eight. A mixed reality project by composer Michel van der Aa with the help of songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke, Eight fuses virtual reality, visual art, and musical theatre to tell the story of a woman’s life in reverse, through four components—the installation, and an accompanying website, app, and music album. Beginning in a dark room where an elderly woman guides viewers back in time, Eight immerses the audience in snippets of her life, moving back through time until she reaches age 8 (which also happens to be the shape of the installation itself).
New Sculpture
Domaine du Muy
Now-December
Enjoy a leisurely afternoon on the grounds of Domaine du Muy’s outdoor sculpture park viewing the collection’s 2019 exhibition, featuring works by artists like Claudia Comte, Sol LeWitt, and Atelier Van Lieshout, as well as Danh Vo, Asad Raza, and Mark Dion—whose works are new to the 2019 presentation. Located between Monaco, Marseille, and Aix-en-Provence, Domaine du Muy includes the sculpture park and a restructured Provençal-style house-turned-gallery (designed by India Mahdavi), founded by Jean-Gabriel Mitterand and his son, Edward Mitterand.
