EXHIBITION "WE ARE ALL CRAZY" BY BEN

5 MAY 2023 - 6 MAY 2024

NAÏF ANATOLLE JAKOVSKY INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART

The City of Nice hosts at the International Museum of Naive Art Anatole Jakovsky, from May 5, 2023 to May 6, 2024, an exhibition event of Ben, one of the major artists of the 20th century known for his actions and paintings. His production, both a reflection on art at its most fundamental and integrating our daily lives into its most particular, succeeds in making life an art.

The museum has given carte blanche to Ben who, for a year, invests more than 500 m² of the museum usually dedicated to naïve, raw and singular art with affection and humor.

The exhibition "on est tous fous" is the story of an encounter between Ben's works (more than 200), those of his own collection (more than 150) and some works from the initial collection of Anatole and Renée Jakovsky. The latter allowed the creation of this museum in 1982, enriched by donations, legacies, donations and acquisitions bringing to nearly 3000 items the collection of today. It is also the meeting between Ben and his audience. The public is thus invited to "dive" into its universe and even to participate in particular via a suggestion box.

"I ASSUME THAT EVERY ARTIST HAS A TOUCH OF MADNESS THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO EXHIBIT,
BUT DON'T DARE"
Ben

From the entrance airlock the tone is set. Ben's paintings come to "dialogue" here with those of Anatole Jakovsky's initial collection, reflecting a certain intellectual bubbling that characterizes the host as well as the guest artist. Pure coincidence, Ben was present at the opening of the museum 40 years ago!

Introductory cartel point at the entrance. Ben, in complete freedom, inscribed this sentence in a cursive writing recognizable among many others, with a light hand guided by his creative "genius" and sometimes in interaction with amused and stunned museum visitors.

The assembly lasted less than three months and some works were made on site. It was punctuated by many arrangements around furniture carefully selected by Ben.

Ben's universe is thus shown, in a succession of moments that, from his "little ideas" to "new writings" through "sculptures", "photography", "time" and "death", draw up a kaleidoscope of his most current achievements. A small living room, a bedroom and its cloakroom, a bathtub, table football, tables and chairs conducive to conversation, a projection corner, a platform to debate, a background sound by Erik Satie, a stairwell reinterpreted by Ben and called "the psychiatric staircase" ... In the gardens and terrace, works by Ben and his private collection explore the theme of madness and art and his "ring" is ready to host performances.

This exhibition will be accompanied by a program of events offered throughout the year with film screenings, unexpected encounters, performances, evenings of madness and philosophy for a unique and immersive experience, guests who will invest the villa as the gardens.

This exhibition is produced with the support of La Poste, which will publish a stamp on this occasion and will offer a mail art space within the museum for the duration of the exhibition.

Open every day from 10am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm except Tuesday