Two New Art Spaces Open in Southern France: Sérignan Museum and Nice Collection

In September 2006, two new art venues opened in southern France: the Musée d'art contemporain Gustave Fayet in Sérignan and the Collection Bernard Massini in Nice. The Sérignan museum, expanded from 545 to 2,200 square meters, was spearheaded by mayor André Gélis, who transformed the former Espace d'art Gustave Fayet into a full-fledged museum. The collection primarily consists of donations from artists who exhibited there, including Daniel Buren, Erró, Pierre Alechinsky, Robert Morris, and Chéri Samba. The inaugural exhibition features Buren and Lawrence Weiner. In Nice, neurosurgeon and collector Bernard Massini opened his private collection in the historic Hôtel Regina, a Victorian palace built in 1896 where Matisse once stayed. Architect Marc Barani oversaw the restoration of over 1,000 square meters. The collection focuses on figurative painting, with works by Vincent Corpet, Djamel Tatah, Stéphane Pencréac'h, and others, as well as video art by Clemens von Wedemeyer and Ulrich Polster. Massini aims to support the French art scene, with plans to convert the space into a private art center within a decade.