Belgian sculptor Arne Quinze will present a major exhibition at the Citadel of Villefranche-sur-Mer this summer, inviting Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos to collaborate on a body of work exploring the poetic, surreal and unexpected.

L’Absurde et le Rêve (The Absurd and the Dream) draws inspiration from Jean Cocteau, whose legacy remains deeply rooted in Villefranche-sur-Mer. The exhibition uses surrealism and dreamscapes to examine contemporary culture’s growing disconnection from nature, which Quinze considers profoundly damaging.

Exhibition spans indoor and outdoor spaces

Curated by Camille Frasca, director of La Citadelle, and Selcan Atilgan, founder of ARTSA Consultancy, the exhibition will occupy the entire Citadel complex through monumental outdoor installations and intimate interior environments.

Vasconcelos brings domestic objects into public spaces, liberating items traditionally associated with private interiors and projecting them into open environments. Her work challenges established perceptions between interior and exterior, private and collective, intimate and monumental.

By introducing artisanal elements and household objects into outdoor settings whilst playing with scale and dimension, she creates an absurd and dreamlike dialogue that transforms familiar objects into unexpected experiences.

Collaborations and new works

Visitors will encounter sculptures, installations, video and sound works, alongside collaborations with the renowned Berengo Studio (Murano glass) and Atelier Vierkant (ceramics). These partnerships allow Quinze to push the boundaries of material expression and realise his most ambitious visions.

The exhibition will premiere previously unseen joint works by Quinze and Vasconcelos, weaving together their distinct artistic universes.

Cocteau-inspired approach

In the spirit of Cocteau, the exhibition dissolves boundaries between the rational and the fantastical, embracing the absurd, poetic and dreamlike. Each space becomes a living canvas, reconnecting history, art and nature whilst inviting visitors into territory of reflection, curiosity and wonder.

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