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The art crowd listening at the opening
The mayor of Antibes, Jean Leonetti
TERRE SACRÉE
Reviewed by ANDRE BEAUMONT
I attended the official opening of TERRE SACRÉE on 28 september 2024.
I have a soft spot for places with some continental or global distinction whilst being pluralistic - London for multiple reasons, Cambridge for its university, Newmarket for racing and Antibes for luxury yachting. It is often the points of global distinction that pushes them to be pluralistic and this in turn helps them create a cluster of excellent capabilities.
This show was of the ceramic and pottery work of three artists - Marcel Giraud born in Vallauris, which must count as local as well as being a renowned place for ceramics, Persian Athéna Jahantigh - many Persians came to Antibes at the time of the revolution, I remember it well, and doubtless some since - and Geneviève Fabre from Marseilles, a city Antibes used to be a satellite of if you go back to antiquity.
So this is about the sacred earth of Provence, also presumably a raw material, in a pluralistic context as the city of Antibes Juan-les-Pins continues building its growing portfolio of excellence in promoting the arts and being the home of them.
I have little knowledge of the trajectory of these works - I just rather like artistic representations of hoofed quadrupeds of which there are a few.
Marcel Giraud, Promenade Solitaire
Marcel Giraud, Épineux, in the foreground
Marcel Giraud, Bélier 1
Athéna Jahantigh, Petit Taureau Roux
Athéna Jahantigh, Petite Gazelle Brick
Athéna Jahantigh, Petit Bélier Roux
Athéna Jahantigh, Moyen Cheval Assi
Athéna Jahantigh, Grand Cheval Bleu
Geneviève Fabre, Mauna Loa
Geneviève Fabre, Terra Sacra
Some of this would grace Bond Street, Newmarket or the Fitzwilliam Museum with little difficulty but I rather prefer it in its terroir.