The Jean-Cocteau museum in Menton (Alpes-Maritimes) presents a colorful artistic journey recounting the world tour carried out by the poet in 1936. Around sixty works by Jean Cocteau are exhibited there, accompanied by works by local artist Michèle Kleijnen. On display until June 16, 2025.
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Following in the footsteps of Philéas Fogg, Jean Coteau completed his world tour in 80 days in 1936. On the walls of the Mentin museum which bears his name, 67 works selected from 2,000 creations by the poet and designer are on display until June . They are accompanied by colorful works by another artist, Michèle Kleijnen.
“It is Jean Cocteau himself who invites us here to his museum, the bastion, and who very quickly did not like this idea of a testamentary museumsays Guillaume Theulière, the director of the Menton museums. He always wanted – addressing us, living in the year 2000 – invite artists to give it dynamism and a more current influence.“
The contemporary art trail is designed by Michèle Kleijnen, an autodidact from Menton and a great traveler like Jean Cocteau.
I immediately felt connected to the theme of travel and stopovers. I then worked on an imaginary trip and its preparation. We nourish ourselves from what we have experienced, while keeping the field open for discoveries.
Michele Kleijnenvisual artist
This colorist painter, imbued with the movement land artresponds to the works of Jean Cocteau with around fifteen installations. His supports – rock, bamboo, wood, bark and textile – keep one constant: color, also worked by Cocteau when he lived on the Riviera.
“We made this selection of five stopovers, including one which is not part of the 80-day world tour in 1936, Spain.explains Sandrine Faraut-Ruelle, exhibition coordinator. CHe knew the country through Picasso but he didn’t really go there until 1953.“
The exhibition takes us on a dreamlike journey between yesterday and today, from India to Egypt via Greece, Japan and Venice.
Report by Florine Ebbhah and Laurent Meney. Editing: Anne-Laure Mathuriau.
