In Biot, ‘Léger and the New Realists’ take over the walls of the Fernand Léger National Museum

Re-enchanting reality

Open your eyes wide! The Musée Fernand Léger and the Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain de Nice (MAMAC) invite you to explore the links between Léger's work and the art of the Nouveaux Réalistes, by including the American art scene of the 1960s-1990s.

Throughout the exhibition, creativity surges and the unexpected is at work. Works by Niki de Saint-Phalle, Arman, Yves Klein, Raymond Hains, Martial Raysse and César engage in a dialogue with the plastic innovations of Fernand Léger.

The work of Fernand Léger and the New Realism movement share more than thematic similarities: they are historically linked! Art critic Pierre Restany is said to have named the group in homage to Léger, who used the term ‘Nouveau Réalisme’ as early as 1920 to describe his artistic approach.

These artists revolutionised artistic creation by reintegrating the real world into their works, while at the same time taking an often critical and political look at the society of their time.

What you can expect

The exhibition highlights Fernand Léger's visionary modernity and his influence on the artists of the 1960s. With 110 works, including 60 from the MAMAC, the exhibition takes a creative and playful approach to themes such as the misappropriation of the object, the representation of the body and leisure, and the place of art in public space.

Through powerful artistic gestures, the artists fuses art and life, revealing the unsuspected poetry of our everyday lives. The extraordinary springs from the ordinary, for those who take the time to look.

So, are you ready to explore the world around you in a new way? Come to Biot today!

Exhibition organised at the Musée national Fernand Léger, Biot by the musées nationaux du XXe siècle des Alpes- Maritimes and the GrandPalaisRmn, in partnership with the Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain (MAMAC), Nice.