Anne et Patrick Poirier Exhibit Invented Ruins Among Roman Thermae at Nice Archaeology Museum

From 7 November 2026 to 5 September 2027, the Musée d'Archéologie de Nice-Cimiez presents Mémoires des ruines, an exhibition placing the invented ruins of Anne and Patrick Poirier among the authentic Roman thermae of Cimiez, organized with the MAMAC. Since 1968, the Poiriers have fabricated vestiges of civilizations that never existed — labyrinths, mental maps, plans of utopian museums, cities reduced to fragments — which they call theatres of memory. For the first time in nearly sixty years, their invented ruins are installed amid genuine ruins, in a route running from the archaeological site to the museum's galleries. For the occasion, the MAMAC lends Lorsque j'essaie de visualiser, a large engraved marble enhanced with gold leaf from 1981, acquired by the Ville de Nice during the artists' exhibition at Les Ponchettes. The presentation sets two archaeologies side by side, only one of which took place. The museum is located at 160 avenue des Arènes de Cimiez, 06000 Nice, and is open daily except Tuesday, 10am–5pm (10am–6pm from 2 May); admission is €5, free for under-18s and students.