La Citadelle is a fortress built in the 16th century. It became an arts and cultural centre in 1981, after being demilitarised in 1967 and listed as a Historic Monument in 1968. It brings together a contemporary art centre and modern art collections.

The museum trail is currently closed for renovation works and the restoration of the collections. The contemporary art centre remains open, hosting artist residencies and exhibitions. La Citadelle presents itself as an open-air art space, offering invited contemporary artists an unusual playground spanning more than three hectares.

La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée © Thierry Malty
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée © Thierry Malty
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée © Andrej Vasilenko
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée © Andrej Vasilenko
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée © Andrej Vasilenko
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée © Andrej Vasilenko
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée © Barbara Lecomte
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée © Barbara Lecomte
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée
La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musée

La Citadelle is a fortress built in the 16th century. It became an arts and cultural centre in 1981, after being demilitarised in 1967 and listed as a Historic Monument in 1968. It brings together a contemporary art centre and modern art collections.

The museum trail is currently closed for renovation works and the restoration of the collections. The contemporary art centre remains open, hosting artist residencies and exhibitions. La Citadelle presents itself as an open-air art space, offering invited contemporary artists an unusual playground spanning more than three hectares.

Programme

Arne Quinze et Joana Vasconcelos
Arne Quinze et Joana Vasconcelos

Arne Quinze and Joana Vasconcelos - The Absurd and the Dream

The Belgian sculptor Arne Quinze invites Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos to join him in creating an extraordinary body of work, exploring the poetic, the surreal and the unexpected.

In the spirit of Jean Cocteau — whose legacy is deeply rooted in Villefranche-sur-Mer — the exhibition encourages visitors to rediscover surrealism and dreamlike thinking as essential lenses through which to reflect on the growing distance between contemporary culture and nature. A loss and a form of alienation that Quinze views as profoundly harmful.

Spreading throughout the Citadel, the exhibition unfolds through monumental outdoor installations alongside more intimate indoor environments. It offers Quinze and Vasconcelos a unique space for expression, allowing them to shape a singular and immersive narrative.

Access

La Citadelle – Centre d’art & Musée
Place Emmanuel Philibert
06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer
04 93 76 33 27
lacitadellevsm.fr

Open daily from 10am to 5pm, except public holidays.
Free admission.

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