The SICARD-IPERTI Foundation is exhibiting original works and moving testimonials until October 27, 2018. The creative process of "PICASSO, PRINNER, COCTEAU... and the others" have been preserved. These artists were regular visitors to the potters' town. During the second half of the 20th century, they took up residence at the Galerie located at 21 avenue de Grasse, VALLAURIS.
Mr André IPERTI had the good fortune to cross paths with the PICASSO in his youth. The latter was at the height of his potential. Mr. IPERTI chose to devote his life to promoting artists, creating a Foundation for Contemporary Art in 1980 alongside Jean SICARD.
According to the article "Cigalon et cimaises " in L'Express, Dédé's parents, as his friends call him, were florists. So, for 3 generations, they had been supplying the PICASSO house and were able to rub shoulders with his intimacy.
Between 1948 and 1955, Picasso drew new sources of inspiration from the RAMIE family. Founder of the MADOURA studio, simply welcomes Picasso. Attracted by his presence, many other artists, poets, painters and intellectuals came to visit and were influenced by the Côte d'Azur region.
Invited to the vernissage this morning, I enjoy listening to the conversations of those who knew the Master. "It was a marvel because when PICASSO came, he organized extraordinary events such as the running of the bulls through the town; as children, we took part in these festivities ....", another "Look, I recognize my brother in the photograph, we were together at this ceramics festival". PICASSO designed the posters in support of the organizing association.
Memories of those happy times come flooding back in the eyes of the guests, who love to recount all the anecdotes shared with the man who took part in so many colorful events in the city.
PICASSO stayed for 20 years and produced 4,000 works at VALLAURIS, leaving a strong imprint on people's minds.
Well received by the local population, he paid many tributes to them by regularly taking part in the city's cultural life.
When she was only a child, Mireille ICARD posed in front of PICASSO, who took her portrait. The photographer ANDRE VILLIERS captured the event as a photo report "before, during and after" the session. Mireille PICART testifies of this striking memory for her young age. André VILLIERS immortalized all these moments of life thanks to PICASSO who offered him his "first camera" in 1953. The city of MOUGINS has dedicated a museum to him for all his work.
Vallauris Golfe Juan welcomed Napoleon BONAPARTE, Jean MARAIS, Alberto MAGNELLI, great men who made the reputation of the city, regularly celebrated by various events such as the landing of Napoleon BONAPARTE organized every year on the beaches of Golfe Juan.
Ceramics is always in the spotlight and 2019 will be the year of the XXVth International Biennial of VALLAURIS contemporary creation and ceramics bringing together more than sixty artists in 6 different places.
In the neighboring town, the PICASSO Museum of the Château GRIMALDI in ANTIBES will show the vacations of PICASSO during an exhibition which will take place from 28/09/18 to 13/01/19. This museum also proposes to admire the last works of Nicolas DE STAEL in the magnificent setting of the old ANTIBES.
PICASSO without a penny after the war, will continue his work thanks to the help of fishermen who offer him supports and paints used for their boats and Mr. Romuald Dor de la Souchère offers him to install his workshop in a room of the castle. There, he left us his radiant and monumental fresco "La joie de vivre" realized in 1946 with so few means.
As part of the Picasso Méditerranée 2017-2019 project, an exhibition on the Vallauris years will take place at the National Museum War and Peace, the Magnelli Museum, the Espace Madoura and the Espace Eden from June 23 to October 22, 2018. We were able to admire all of the 100 etchings that make up "La suite VOLLARD" from the name of the sponsor of this work, which remained in the project stage due to the latter's untimely death, at the MALMAISON in CANNES in April 2018.
Other exhibitions take place in several cities of the Mediterranean basin in order to trace the themes that may have influenced Picasso.
It's not over, don't miss the Fernand LEGER Museum exhibition in BIOT "vis à vis Fernand LEGER and his friends" until 17/09/2018 !
