Warm and enthralling evenings on the programme ! Kassav, Gilberto Gil, Yuri Buenaventura, Alpha Blondy, Amadou & Mariam Khaled and Murray Head are among the stars in the 12th edition of “Les Nuits du Sud”. People go for the music, of course, but also for an atmosphere unlike any other. Open-air concerts for which fans do not hesitate to make the trip every night.
From July 10th to August 8th, Vence. www.nuitsdusud.com

On the programme of the 20th “Nuits de la Guitare de Patrimonio” : Ayo, Tracy Chapman, Vincente Amigo Septet, Bireli Lagrène Gipsy Trio, Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Rokia Traoré, Keziah Jones and a special Gypsy Night, for a flamboyant close, with Stochelo Rosenberg, Romane, Dorado Schmitt, Tchavolo Schmitt, Samson Schmitt, Richard Manetti, David Reinhardt, Costel Nitescu and Marc-Michel Le Bevillon.
From July 18th to 25th, Patrimonio. festival-guitare-patrimonio.com (04 95 37 12 15).

For just a weekend, the town of Aubagne is proposing several events revolving around ceramics. The “Argilla” biennial is first and foremost a large pottery market with an expected total of 188 exhibitors this year, who will display their creations and discuss their work. Also on the programme, activities such as children’s workshops, a musical itinerary around the market, even the opportunity to participate in the making of a piece of ceramics (design, firing in the open air or turning on the potter’s wheel). In parallel, fans will be delighted to discover the exhibition “Heritage : a land of fire, light and dreams” (from June 26th to November 1st, Cours des Clastres) and another entitled “Reviewing the classics, clay in contemporary art” (July 22nd to October 25th, Chapelle des Pénitents Noirs).
August 22th and 23th (04 91 22 05 82).

Of all the summer music festivals, that of Antibes is still the one which gives the lion’s share to jazz. Alongside regulars such as Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock & Jack DeJohnette, one finds the brilliant Jamie Cullum, the extraordinary Marva Wright, the talented Joss Stone, but also Jeff Beck, Mc Solaar and the Sidney Bechet Memory All Stars. Not to be missed, the “Révélations TSF” evening with emerging talents Bria Skonberg, Tineke Postma, Grace Kelly and Céline Bonacina...
From July 11th to 19th, Pinède Gould, Juan-les-Pins (04 97 23 11 11).

Gypsy music, rock, village folk, country... Emir Kusturica and the No Smoking orchestra is all that at once ! The film director and his band of Serbian origin lay claim to an explosive blend of rhythms. On stage, they whisk you away in a super-charged ambiance. Highly communicative energy !
July 8th at the Théâtre de Verdure, Nice (04 97 25 81 36).

After his exhibitions “Haute Couture” in 2008 and “Ready-made” earlier this year, both at the Galerie Ferrero, Jean-Antoine Hierro is pushing his project inspired by dresses even further. A project entitled “Dress Code” which invites the spectator to reflect on the dictates of the social, moral and aesthetic codes of today’s society. This time, Hierro is taking over the Château-Musée Grimaldi, revealing some incredible pieces. On the masts on the tower, white linen bearing the matrix form of the dress serve as a signal for the exhibition. Inside, dresses hang in the hallways, and a monumental gown made of staff and moulding occupies the Salle Carlone, while in the Oratoire, one can admire the dress of Venus, sculpted in aluminium... Lots more surprises lie in wait for those who venture further.
From July 11th to September 7th, Château-Musée Grimaldi (04 92 02 47 30).

Once across the footbridge, you arrive on the superb island of Le Gaou, which hosts “Les Voix du Gaou”, one of the most impatiently awaited festivals of the summer. Well-established performers and new revelations share the bill, including Lenny Kravitz, Bernard Lavilliers, Alpha Blondy, Bénabar, Yodelice, Rokia Traoré, Pascale Picard, Pauline, Zaza Fournier, Tryo…
From July 15th to 29th, Ile du Gaou, Six-Fours (04 91 80 10 89).

Renowned bass-player (for Pat Metheny, Manu Dibango, Didier Lockwood, Jacques Higelin, Salif Keita...), Richard Bona from the Cameroons has pursued a career for the past ten years as a solo singer. In 1999, he released his first album, “Scenes of my life”, which was followed by five more. On stage, he perspires and makes you perspire, as announced by his latest opus : “Bona Makes You Sweat”.
June 27th, Châteauvallon, Ollioules (04 94 22 02 02).

Claude Morin and his daughters, Géraldine and Olivia, share a creative soul which is expressed in the fields of sculpture and painting. They each, of course, have their own personal touch. Géraldine and Olivia work with bronze, Claude too, though he complements
it with welded iron (his “César” is simply superb). Olivia specializes in sanguines while Géraldine paints in more “underground” style (Gainsbourg, New York...) and Claude opts for voluptuous female nudes (using various techniques : sanguine, oil on canvas, oil on linen) and representations of birds (ostriches, ibises, blue throats, seagulls...). Three talents to be discovered in the family studio-cum-gallery where they permanently display their works.
Atelier galerie Morin, Saint-Paul (04 93 32 77 37).

The 19th edition of Le Thoronet’s “Rencontres de Musique Médiévale” will be an important event : the first appearance in public of the Japanese monks from the Daitoku-ji Temple of Kyoto. Among other rendez-vous : devotional hymns, music from royal chapels, chants from Orthodox monasteries, cathedrals… A festival offering very high-quality programming for fans of the genre.
From July 20th to 26th at the Abbaye du Thoronet (04 94 60 10 94).

This is a festival whose open mindedness is matched only by its high artistic level. “Les Suds”, 14th edition, is a week of concerts (including in particular Cesaria Evora and Khaled), but also encounters, conferences, meals, open-air cinema, discovery apéros, courses in dance, song and music... A week totally inspired by the welcome idea of conviviality !
From July 13th to 19th at Arles (04 90 18 41 20). www.suds-arles.com

From the historic Grand Parade of jazz to the “Nice Jazz Festival” of today, continuity is again ensured with this year’s edition in the gardens of Cimiez. A great and very popular festival with three stages vying for attention, it allows fans to listen to major performers such as Tracy Chapman and Joe Jackson, chamber jazz with the sublime Brad Mehldau Trio, blues with Lucky Peterson, B.B. King, new stars such as Keziah Jones, Lisa Ekdahl, Julien Doré, and to experience the return of Sonny Rollings live on stage. Our special date ? The prestige evening of July 18th which will attract both purists and the general public. Programming that often flirts with the exceptional.
From July 18th to 25th at Jardins de Cimiez, Nice. www.nicejazzfestival.fr. M.D.

For the first time in Europe, “Trésors du bouddhisme au pays de Gengis Khan” presents examples of Buddhist art, salvaged from the destruction of Mongolian temples in 1928. A great opportunity to understand the history of a very rich culture, how the Lamas became the leaders of Tibet, and why the Mongols were converted to Buddhism.
Until October 26th at Musée des Arts Asiatiques, Nice (04 92 29 37 00).

Monaco Based in New York, Bill Jacklin is a great observer : of snow that falls on Times Square, a shady landscape, a narrow sunny street in Venice... What interests him more than anything else is the infinite potential of light and darkness. In his canvases, he plays on these wonderful nuances, producing dense atmospheres in which his characters evolve, gradually becoming less and less distinct. “People and Places II” consists of a score of paintings and monotypes from “People and Places”, as well as new works specially created for this exhibition.
Until June 19th at Galerie Marlborough (00 377 97 70 25 50).

Based on an approach using free associations guided by objective chance, this Nice-based artist peoples space with hybrid works in three dimensions, at the crossroads of figurative and abstract art, the decorative and conceptual, sculpture and painting. Isolating a precise moment, his works depend on tension, onto which he grafts a mental construction that borrows a few ideas from politics, poetry and humour. Installations and disparate objects are imbued with a nostalgic lyricism recalling both scholarly and popular culture, minor and major art forms. Not to be missed !
From June 20th to Auguste 1st at galerie Catherine Issert. www.galerie-issert.com. D. McD.

This Mandinka opera composed by Habib Koité, conducted by Alain Joutard (Orfeo) and staged by Michel Jaffrennou, is a wonderful adventure shared by France and Mali. The project grew out of a desire to teach young people around the world ways in which all nations can live together in harmony. 2,500 children fom the Alpes-Maritimes and Aubervilliers were thus invited to participate in a wonderful journey, somewhere between real and imaginary, to discover Mandinka culture. Inspired by Habib’s songs, the opera also invites Yaya Coulibaly’s puppets and the artistes of the Circus Baobab to tell the story of Kirina, a village located south of Bamako. Here, once a year, the giant baobab calls all the villagers together to learn about everthing that’s happening countrywide... A unique artistic and cultural experience.
26th and 27th of June at Acropolis and 1st and 2nf July at Palais des Festivals.

A rising figure in contemporary art, Kokian is also the worthy heir of Basquiat. Impulsive and rebellious, he does not hesitate to use his art to denounce the hypocrisies of our society. His paintings thus convey real messages. Scattered between Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Corsica, Belgium and Luxembourg, two of them are visible at the Galerie du Vieux Saint-Paul, Saint-Paul de Vence (04 93 32 74 50).

Menton The first stone was laid last December. Since then, the public eagerly awaits the opening (in 2011) of the Jean Cocteau Museum. This new cultural building will house the collection of Séverin Wunderman, the famous watch-maker, a great art-lover who died in 2008. He had collected over 2,000 works by Jean Cocteau : drawings, photographs, manuscripts, prints, posters, sculptures, ceramics... His impressive donation to the town (1,763 items) and the desire to share his passion have allowed this ambitious project to be carried out. Designed by the Rudy Ricciotti architectural firm, the museum will fit perfectly into the landscape. It will contain several exhibition rooms and a bookshop, an educational workshop, garden, cafeteria and storage rooms. It will be built at the foot of the old town close to the Bastion, in a spot known as “Les Pêcheurs”.

Nice The concept is original. The Galerie Ars Natura, located in the Old Town of Nice since December, exhibits photographs exclusively inspired by nature. Each one is numbered, signed and proposed in limited editions (maximum 500 copies). The gallery is currently highlighting photos by Mark Gaylard, Naoya Fujishiro, Pierre Lesage and Jean Cazals. It also has a catalogue of about 200 images for which one can choose the print format and finish. A unique chance to treat oneself to a work of art, whose collector value is protected, at a reasonable price (from 23 to 1,550 €). Furthermore, Ars Natura has selected a number of decorative items, also with nature in mind : natural picture frames from Vertical Green, objects made of boiled wool from Hut up Berlin and others with animal or floral motifs from Atelier LZC.
Galerie Ars Natura, 3 rue Centrale (04 93 79 46 24). www.arsnatura.fr

The town of Cagnes-sur-Mer is reasserting its role in the field of jewellery and has added two new rooms to its exhibition space, one reserved for documentation. Its permanent collection consists of original works acquired over the years from internationally renowned artists, with the accent on contemporary design.
Espace Solidor et Tour Margot, Cagnes-sur-Mer (04 93 72 14 42).

It has taken two-and-a-half years to renovate the Picasso Museum in Antibes which is finally re-opening its doors to the public. While the castle’s façades and roofs have been restored, the undertaking mostly involved plans for interior restructuring. The aim of providing improved conditions for the reception of visitors (access for the handicapped, cloakrooms, washrooms, book shop…) and conservation of artworks (creation of showcases, temperature control…) has been achieved. On entering the ground-floor, one discovers the admirable Hartung-Bergman donation. The first floor is devoted to temporary exhibitions and presentation of the Nicolas de Staël collection. Quite logically, the top floor is reserved for the Picasso collection, in and around the studio area where the artist worked in 1946 at the invitation of curator Romuald Dor de la Souchère.
Musée Picasso, Château d’Antibes (04 92 90 54 26).

Saint-Paul-de-Vence Michel Degav’s paintings convey sincere emotion, rare spontaneity and an evident desire to share all the beauty he sees around him. Landscapes of Provence and Italy, fishing harbours, luxuriant gardens, hang alongside portraits of young girls and magnificent horses. Brilliant colours, shimmering light and vibrating heat, executed, or almost sculpted, with a palette-knife to give texture, depth and relief. Michel Degav and his wife Anna, his muse but also an active partner, welcome to the gallery they opened a few years ago, people who appreciate beauty and authenticity and who regularly return to rediscover their captivating world.
82 rue Grande (04 93 32 09 86).
www.degav.com