The Fondation Cab building, which offers guest rooms alongside contemporary art

The south of France and Monaco are becoming among the hottest destinations in the art world, literally as well as metaphorically. The scenic region, once a celebrated home to artists and patrons, has seen a new influx of foundations, private museums, philanthropists and collectors who are supercharging the Riviera vibe. Here, four leading lights from the area, Simon de Pury, Marie-Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, Christian Levett and Catherine Loewe present the inside track of what’s “ouf” between Marseille and Menton

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Fondation Cab, Saint-Paul de Vence

With views over the Cap d’Antibes peninsula, the Riviera branch of Hubert Bonnet’s Fondation Cab houses a minimalist and conceptual contemporary art collection and offers seasonal exhibitions and artist residencies, all in a restored modernist site.

Quatre couronnes circulaires entremêlées, 2020, by Felice Varini, from the Fondation Cab collection

“My friend Hubert Bonnet was always passionate about architecture, art and design. His Fondation Cab was born from his desire to support artistic creativity and become a source of inspiration. In 2021, the foundation opened a second location in Saint-Paul de Vence. It is a must see in the area! I love the renovation of this 1950s’ house by the architect and interior designer Charles Zana and the beautiful Maison Prouvé in the garden.”

– Marie-Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

Mater Earth, 2023, by Prune Nourry, on the Château La Coste estate

Château La Coste, Puy-Sainte-Réparade

The historic organic vineyard near Aix-en-Provence inaugurated an art and architecture park, established by Paddy McKillen, in 2011, as well as a hotel and restaurants.

Read more: Inside Milan with Francesco Maccapani Missoni

The Oscar Niemeyer Pavilion, conceived by the architect between 2010 and 2013, and unveiled in 2022 in a vineyard on the Château La Coste estate

“The sculpture garden at Château La Coste is a wonderful and unforgettable experience. At the entrance by Louise Bourgeois’s Crouching Spider is the start of an Art and Architecture Trail, which winds through the hills and vineyards of the estate. Designed by Tadao Ando, the art centre reveals a meticulous attention to materials and textures, and blends seamlessly into its surroundings. Other architectural pavilions, such as those by Renzo Piano and Oscar Niemeyer, are also worth a visit.”

– Marie-Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

The 1960s Dragon Hill building, designed by Jacques Couëlle along ecological lines

Dragon Hill, Mouans-Sartoux

The pioneering art residency, founded by London gallerists Jonny Burt and Joe Kennedy, is located on a mountaintop above the village of Mouans-Sartoux, near Cannes. Curators, academics, patrons and collectors are welcomed for visits by appointment.

Read more: A tasting of top Napa Cabernet Sauvignons with Paul Hobbs

A sculpture by Claudia Comte on the Dragon Hill grounds

“Dragon Hill’s dreamy Riviera villa designed by visionary architect Jacques Couëlle is a place one never wants to leave. It is a retreat for artists and writers to revel in the natural beauty, tranquillity and cultural legacy that this part of the world is famed for. I am excited to be curating a special exhibition there for two brilliant women with strong ties to the region, Maryam Eisler and Nicole Farhi.”

– Catherine Loewe

Villa E-1027 is set before Le Corbusier’s Le Cabanon on the Riviera coast

Eileen Gray Villa E-1027, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin

Built in the 1920s and overlooking a small beach beneath a dramatic coastal path, Gray’s villa was fully restored in 2021. The site can be visited from April to October by guided tour and prior booking only.

Read more: A sojourn in Egypt

The furniture was designed for the space by Eileen Gray

“E-1027, the iconic Eileen Gray modernist villa built between 1926 and 1929 in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and lovingly restored by Michael Likierman is the perfect destination for a hike along the sea from Monaco.”

– Simon de Pury

The Abstract Expressionist Gallery at Famm

Famm, Mougins

Founded by collector and LUX Contributing Editor Christian Levett, Femmes Artistes Musée Mougins (Famm) opened in 2024 in an historic village near Cannes. The collection, which unfolds across four floors, features artists including Berthe Morisot, Nan Goldin and Jenny Saville. The museum can be visited year round.

Read more: Arch Hades in conversation with Catherine Loewe

Les fils du roi, 1906, by Jacqueline Marval, from the Famm collection

“One of the interesting things about having a museum in the south of France is it’s a place where things are happening: Luma and Cab are fairly recent, Carmignac only opened eight years ago. You have Domaine du Muy, owned by Jean-Gabriel and Edward Mitterrand, near Saint-Tropez – another sculpture park in the area. And there’s Dragon Hill as well, open to private tours by collectors and curators.”

– Christian Levett

A Maeght gallery, designed by Silvio D’Ascia and opened in 2024, was conceived to complement the original architecture by Josep Lluís Sert

Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul de Vence

The renowned foundation was founded in 1964 by Marguerite and Aimé Maeght, friends of the most important artists of their time who left their mark on the building and its extensive gardens. Temporary exhibitions include Ellsworth Kelly, from June to November 2026.

The sculpture garden, including two Personnage sculptures, 1970 and 1972, by Joan Miró

“I am always very enthusiastic about the idea of returning to this magical place, nestled among pine trees and bathed in light. Stroll through the sculpture garden, where you encounter Miró, Giacometti or Calder, then enter the museum to admire Chagall, Braque and so many others. A timeless gem that merges art, nature and architecture.”

– Marie-Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

Read more: The heart of London’s art circuit at the Royal Academy

An exhibition view of Couleurs! Chefs d’oeuvre du Centre Pompidou, 2025 at the Grimaldi Forum

Grimaldi Forum, Monaco

Inaugurated in 2000, with an extension by Alexandre Giraldi and Patrick Raymond in 2025, the 35,000 square metre waterfront site hosts exhibitions, performances and concerts all year round.

An exhibition view of ‘Monet et la Riviera’, 2023, at the Grimaldi Forum

“Under the lead of Sylvie Biancheri, the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco has been reliably churning out one blockbuster show after another. Its flexible interior is any curator’s dream.”

– Simon de Pury

Krauses Gekröse, 2011, by Franz West at Luma’s Parc des Ateliers site

Luma, Arles

Established in 2013 by founder Maja Hoffman and featuring architecture by Frank Gehry, the singular vision for Luma includes exhibitions of multidisciplinary art and programmes supporting engagement with creative ideas and social issues.

Isometric Slides, two 12-metre-high slides in the Tower building, 2021, by Carsten Höller

“With Luma Arles, Maja Hoffmann has founded the ultimate publicly accessible research laboratory combining art and science. Besides which, she is the cultural dynamo responsible for the Fondation Vincent Van Gogh and for Les Rencontres d’Arles de la photographie.”

– Simon de Pury

Il Etait Une Fois, Le Nord-Pinus by Maryam Eisler

Maryam Eisler – the photographer behind many of LUX’s artist covers, including our most recent KAWS cover- continues her fascination with the Sublime Feminine in her latest series of works, If Only These Walls Could Talk

In 1973, Helmut Newton travelled to Arles and photographed Charlotte Rampling for her iconic Vogue shoot. 48 years later Maryam Eisler returns to this precise location, Suite 10 at the Hôtel Nord-Pinus to continue her exploration of the ‘Sublime Feminine’, the focus on sensuality​, and the female gaze ​within the context of this culturally historic space.

Huitres, Coquillages et Crustacés by Maryam Eisler

For this series, black and white photography takes precedence, allowing Eisler to distil figures to create ‘body architecture’ through abstract and emotive shapes. Embracing the beauty of women and their forms, in her photographs, the message of strength yet uncompromising femininity is clear.

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La Lionne by Maryam Eisler

​Maryam additionally looks to Suite 10 ​and it’s context as a place famously known ​for its association with successful bullfighters, such as Luis Miguel Dominguín, who waved at their fans from the balcony. Not only does this series pay tribute to the sport itself but also the artists, poets and writers who have also appreciated bullfighting in their works too.

Read more: A Belle Epoque revival in Paris

​In Maryam’s artworks, the bull is replaced by the strength and beauty of a female protagonist, ​at once the captor and the captivated, holding the power through their red capes.

Autant En Emporte Le Vent by Maryam Eisler

Maryam Eisler’s exhibition of ‘If Only These Walls Could Talk’ will be showing at Alon Zakaim Fine Art from Wednesday 2nd – Thursday 24th November 2022

The accompanying publication ‘If Only These Walls Could Talk,’, which includes a foreword by Brandei Estes, Sotheby’s Director, Head of Photographs, EMEA, will be available to coincide with the exhibition

Founder of Fondation Thalie, Nathalie Guiot

The Brussels-based French founder of Fondation Thalie is from one of France’s biggest retail families. Nathalie Guiot speaks to LUX about the need for an all-round vision in facilitating arts and culture to support sustainability and biodiversity – and why you shouldn’t call her a philanthropist. Interview by Anne-Pierre d’Albis-Ganem

LUX: What prompted you to start your foundation?
Nathalie Guiot: The aim was to support contemporary art linked to societal issues with three objectives. To give more visibility to female artists, as I don’t think they are represented enough; to promote dialogues between visual and savoir-faire craft, such as ceramics and textiles – I come from a family of entrepreneurs in retail and textiles; and to be involved in the ecological transition, to invite artists and scientists to create new narratives to call for action. It’s a multi-disciplinary foundation connected to new narratives, contemporary writing, new forms of creative writing, as well as visual arts and ecological transition, and how we can address this urgent topic.

Artworks by Kiki Smith at her solo show at Fondation Thalie

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LUX: Do you think of yourself as a philanthropist?
NG: I come from a family where we don’t really use that word. I don’t know why – it’s more like we are taking action, but we are not considering it as philanthropy, even if it is actually philanthropy. It’s a way of interacting with contemporary art creation now and how can we help these artists make their projects.

LUX: How can artists address the environmental issues?
NG: I think they have a vision that we don’t have. They have a vision to
project what the future will be. I think about Tomás Saraceno… it’s not only visual art, it is also in cinema, like the amazing film maker Cyril Dion. He just came out with a new movie called Animal talking about the end of biodiversity.

Nathalie Guiot speaking to a group at the Kiki Smith exhbition at Fondation Thalie

LUX: You are involved with artists and biodiversity.
NG: Right now, it’s more about conversations online, and from these conversations we will publish a book of 12. It’s about supporting people who are doing things. We are partners of the festival Action for Biodiversity in Arles at the end of August. I am also involved in the family business, which is Decathlon (the French sports retailer), as a board member of the Transition Committee. We’re working with the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, on a three-year research programme for the next generation of designers. It focuses on how to create products without destroying natural resources. Artists and designers will work with mycelium, for example. It will be inaugurated in September.

Artwork by Kiki Smith

LUX: Is it a duty or a privilege for those with means to support the arts, given the pressures on public sector funding?
NG: I think it is a privilege to commission artworks, and to enable the creation of a community of patrons and collectors sharing the same passion! More than ever, we need creativity and poetry regarding our dramatic political context of the war in Ukraine. I am grateful to enable the support of artists in this context of a private foundation and to build this art collection over time.

Fondation Thalie

LUX: What changes have you seen around the ecosystem of supporters of the arts/philanthropists, foundations, and museums in the past five to 10 years?
NG: They are more present and active – in particular, in Brussels. When I arrived 18 years ago, there were no galleries, artist-run spaces or contemporary centres. Nowadays, even my baker has an artist-run space!

Read more: Marina Abramović: The Artist As Survivalist

I am kidding, but Kanal Centre Pompidou (museum) has opened in an old car factory downtown, Wiels (contemporary art centre) has a cutting-edge programme of exhibitions, and numerous other galleries and private foundations are there now. Brussels is becoming the place to be!

Find out more: fondationthalie.org

This article appears in the Summer 2022 issue of LUX