This year there is a focus on the art of Picasso and his connection to several different villages and towns in Provence.
At the end of his life he lived in Mougins (1961-1973). In 1958 he bought a chateau at Vauvenargues (outside of Aix-en-Provence), which is actually where he is buried. He also stayed at different times in Avignon, Menerbes, Les Baux-de-Provence, Arles, Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Vallauris, and Antibes/Juan-les-Pins.
Today I saw the spectacle Picasso at the Cathedrale d'Images at Les Baux-de-Provence. We so enjoyed last year's show of Van Gogh, and although the Picasso show is quite different, it was also inspiring and showed the wide variety of Picasso's work and his creativity, accompanied by carefully selected music. This is the first show at the Cathedrale d'Images that has showcased a modern artist.
If you are going to be in Provence this year, I highly recommend taking in this show-- even if you don't think you like Picasso. The show runs continuously inside the former limestone quarries, a multi-media program shown on every surface of the caves. The entire concept is extremely creative.
On May 27th we have tickets to see the Cezanne-Picasso exhibition at the Musee Granet in Aix-en-Provence. I ordered my tickets online through FNAC and picked them up at the FNAC outlet in Aix last week-- easy to do. I'll post back about that as well... I'm really looking forward to it!
I saw it the one at Les Baux too. I loved it. It was amazing to see the paintings blown up to such a size and the 3-D aspect was really unique as well. The images run the gamut from very early Picasso, when he painted in a more traditional style to his later, more modern images. The music too was fantastic, changing to fit the mood, light when images of provencial landscapes were flashed and then much darker when Guernica was shown. BTW--it isn't just for adults--my kids loved it. They were dancing with the music and delighted to be "covered" in art at times. Though they did think that some of the women looked pretty "weird". My son asked me if he was painting aliens-lol.
Posts: 86 | Location: San Diego, California, USA | Registered: 02 January 2009
Kathy, that sounds wonderful. We really want to see this when we are in (or near) Provence next week. Do we need advance reservations for the Picasso show?
Roz, no reservation necessary. And you don't sit down-- you just move around the huge cave and the art surrounds you. I like to choose a couple of different vantage points to watch.
The admission is 7.50 euro. It's a lovely setting in the Val d'Enfer (Valley of Hell!). If you are there at lunchtime, I'd suggest lunch in Maussane-les-Alpilles, about 10 minutes away.
Unfortunately, we will not be here when the Cezanne-Picasso show opens, but we did get to the spectacle at the Cathedrale des Images, and were completely enthralled. I loved the way I felt sort of inside the art and experiencing it in a whole different, unique way. You can't really capture it at all in a photo, but here's one that may give you some semblance of it.
We did attend the Picasso-Cezanne exhibition in Aix yesterday, at the Musee Granet. The exhibition just opened this week and will continue until late September.
The focus is more on Picasso than Cezanne, including the influence of Cezanne on Picasso's work, paintings by Cezanne owned by Picasso, and Picasso's purchase of the chateau at Vauvenargues outside of Aix. I thought the exhibition was very well organized, with good information provided. I especially enjoyed learning more about Picasso.
If you visit the exhibition, be sure to visit the ground floor, where there are some interesting and fun educational exhibits. On the top floor of the museum was a photo exhibit from Picasso's time at Vauvenargues.
From a practical standpoint, it was quite crowded in Aix and at the exhibition. We had tickets for 4:30 pm. You are only allowed to queue up about 15 minutes before your designated time, so there's no reason to arrive early. All packages and large bags must be checked, and no cameras are allowed. You do have to go through security screening.
I spent about 1-1/2 hours in the museum (also re-visited the permanent collection).
Our group enjoyed the exhibition. Earlier in the day we visited the Picasso spectacle at the Cathedrale des Images in Les Baux. (This was my third time to see the Picasso spectacle, and I've appreciated it more each time.) Pretty much unanimously, our group liked the spectacle in the limestone caves more... the setting, the impression of the visuals, the accompanying music. It is truly a unique experience.
(Have I mentioned that the 2010 spectacle at the Cathedrale des Images is "Australia"?)
Picasso castle in Vauvenargues near Aix en Provence is usually closed but will be open from June to September. You have to book in advance as they limit the number of visitors to 19 in each single group. There is a shuttle you have to take to reach the castle. You need to go and buy your ticket there: Hôtel de Valori 36 rue Cardinale, 13100 Aix-en-Provence
The castle was bought by Picasso and he and his wife lived there for a number of years. Visitors can see the main room, bedroom, his workshop and the bathroom where Picasso painted directly on one of the walls.
Posts: 34 | Location: Nice, France | Registered: 02 April 2009
