by Eleonora Pedron with Gilbert Gay-Parme ANTIBES. In 2018, the 46th Antibes International Art Fair opens its doors from April 21st to May 8th 2018. April 20th is the day reserved for professionals. This Salon is unique for its attendance, the works presented and for its magical atmosphere in front of the port of Antibes, on the edge of the Mediterranean, near the sunny terraces of the restaurants of the old city.
The Salon d’Antiquités-Brocante of Old Antibes was initiated more than forty years ago by Claude Ammirati and Jean Gismondi. Since its creation, Salon d’Antibes has been run by a non-profit association, ACAAFVA. This guarantees the independence and integrity of its organizers who have one goal: to bring together professionals, amateurs and collectors to share a common passion. Since its creation, the Salon d’Antibes has been part of a centuries-old tradition that has been perpetuated on the Côte d’Azur since the Belle Époque: a special “art de vivre” on the shores of the Mediterranean that celebrates beauty and aesthetics. It happened that some great families of the European aristocracy came to the French Riviera to spend the winter in majestic mansions decorated with works of art and precious furniture. From the 20th century, it is the new fortunes resulting from the industrial revolution that acquire a second home in the region. Like Gerald and Sara Murphy, American heirs, who arrive in Antibes in the early 1920s to spend the summer at the edge of the Mediterranean and succumb to all its pleasures. It is with them that the French Riviera will be born. During their stays in Antibes they receive in particular their artist friends (Dos Passos, Picasso, Léger, Hemingway, Ernst …). Together, they share both the simple pleasures of swimming, reading, going out to the market, strolling by the sea and those, more sumptuous, big elegant parties organized to the rhythm of jazz in the most sumptuous residences of the Cap d’Antibes. They thus launch the vogue of the summer holidays at the edge of the Mediterranean and a new lifestyle that will describe their friend Scott Fitzgerald in “Tender is the night”, in 1934. Traditionally, the houses in the area were previously arranged to protect themselves from the sun. Instead, the Murphy ordered a series of works for their Villa America of Cap d’Antibes to take full advantage of the sun. They notably broke down the roof of their home to build one of the first terraces of the Côte d’Azur. They widened the windows to install picture windows and let in the sun, and of course they hung the works of their best artist friends on the walls. Even today, the Côte d’Azur remains a Garden of Eden by the sea. The greatest architects, decorators and landscapers come from all over the world and compete to realize here the most beautiful dreams of their famous customers who, in turn, enjoy the sweetness of life on this side of paradise! It is the most important French exhibition, after Paris, and one of the major events in Europe.
As every year, more than 25,000 visitors will discover in Antibes some of the most beautiful pieces currently on the international market: antiques, modern art, contemporary art, antique jewellery, designer furniture and vintage. Authenticity, beauty, rarity and originality are the key words! The Salon d’Antibes has become an international reference. It is a walk through the elegant aisles of the show, discovering stands converted into real galleries, seeing the nobility and captains of the industry rubbing shoulders with discretion and relaxation with simple fans. Selected exhibitors unearth and reserve the most outstanding pieces for this event. They know that Antibes Art Fair has a unique and cosmopolitan clientele, inclined to fall in love with a historic masterpiece or an unusual object that will complete its collections or perfect the decoration of the penthouses, villas and yachts. Every year, during the Salon d’Antibes, major collectors can admire and acquire some exceptional masterpieces: Calder, Chagall, Dufy, Kijno, Léger, Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Renoir, de Staël as well as Arman, Caesar, Hartung, Klein, Niki of Saint-Phalle, Plensa, Venet, … This year, in this land blessed by the gods, a true garden of Eden at the edge of the Mediterranean where the artists will never stop to come to enjoy the climate of the Côte d’Azur, its sweetness of life, its landscapes and its unique light, the Salon d’Antibes is presenting an international artistic event: the American artist Matthew Broussard was invited to present several of his exceptional creations (paintings sculptures, installations …), some of which are specially created for Antibes.
With Matthew Broussard, it is thus a singular piece of contemporary art that confronts works of all eras exhibited on the stands of the show, and a nice challenge for the audience! Matthew Broussard was born in the USA, in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Raised in Dallas, he attended Washington’s Arts Magnet High School, completed with a BFA in sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. After several years spent between the United States and Europe, he settled in Italy in 1992, near Lake Maggiore where he lives and works since while regularly participating in various national and international exhibitions. Matthew Broussard is represented by DeFreo Gallery in Germany and Sweden, by Living Art in England and, in Italy, by Alson Gallery, Galleria Tornabuoni and Galleria Bucaro whose exhibition dedicated to the artist in 2015 remains etched in memory.
Along with his personal creations that quickly made him noticed, Matthew Broussard was production manager for the famous monumental creations of one of the masters of the world contemporary art scene Ugo Rondinone (Human Figure Project, Magic Mountain series…).
In total, the show hosts nearly 120 exhibitors in the big marquee (nearly 4,000 m²) and in the outdoor area. The show offers a complete and diverse selection of unique and rare works! Inside the marquee will be gathered the big names of the sector of antiques, modern art and contemporary art which make the international reputation of the show. On the antiquities side, we can mention the galleries Giorgio Salvaï, Scalabrino, Boma, Sugeres, Château du Plessis, Nicolas Bordet, Pipat, Pascal Moufflet, de Cicco (specialized in the 1st Empire period), Haussmann, Boccara Gallery (which presents ancient sublime tapestries, modern and contemporary artistic carpets and tapestries), and Robert Cohen, etcetera. Among the exhibitors of works made by the great names of Modern Art and Contemporary Art, there are the galleries Michel Estades, Le Floch, Jean Ferrero, Artagra, Babylon BB, Boccara, Art Riviera Trading, and Le Garage. The Provencal Masters are presented by the gallery Antichambre du Louvre, and the ancient arts of Asia are represented by Michel Douris, the Catier Gallery, A Thousand Years of the Orient … Some of them also present iconic creations of contemporary art in Asia (Huang Gang, Cai Zhisong, Wang Keping …). Note the success of the Viviane Henwood Gallery with superb creations by the Maison DAUM. 
Specialists display sumptuous vintage tableware services, and the design and vintage furniture is presented by Pascal Badié Gallery, Vintage Domus, and American Graffiti Dream. Once again Davide Antichità is exhibiting sublime antique Murano’s chandeliers, Manuscripta offers a selection of old photographs, handwritten letters and autographs, La Tradition de l’Ecriture presents penholders and old pens (with repair service on site), and antique carpets, tapestries, modern carpets and artists are offered by Boccara Gallery, Falk and Schanewald Galleries. Gallery 4 presents antique prints, prints and art editions. La M.I.N.E. offers a selection of transformed industrial furniture. Then, there are the jewellers: the Galerie Pautot, Bernard Bouisset, Laurence Fayolle, Francine Joaillerie, Stella d’Orlando, etcetera, will compete with all the brilliance of their sumptuous jewels. Moreover, the organizers are inviting new exhibitors to enrich and diversify the offer. This year, several major French antique dealers have joined the Salon d’Antibes, confirming its position as France’s leading salon after Paris. Among these are David Sonigo (antique furniture, fireplaces and marble), Achille Antiquities, Pascal Moufflet, and Adriana Art Gallery (paintings and photos). In other sectors, the artist Marc Ferrero, figure of the movement of Storytelling Art, the dreamlike and phantasmagorical universe of the artist Isabelle Planté. American Graffiti Dream exhibits vintage furniture and decorative items. On the Italian side, several references are also present for the first time, including Elda Carrer (Furniture, Paintings and Old Objects), Galleria Chifari (Italian names in modern and contemporary painting), Pernicci Raffaello (Porcelain), Rita Tucci (Marble), Gioielleria Vintage (bags, fashion accessories of major brands) and the galleries of Lauretta Orsini, Mariano & Carlo, and that of Paolo Sessa who will present furniture and objects of ancient decoration. Also, the return of the flamboyant antique-decorator Giorgio Salvaï is remarkable! Outside the Salon, next to the big marquee (which includes about 90 antique dealers and gallerists), the open air space brings together some thirty exhibitors.
Located in front of the entrance to the lounge, this space offers a diversified choice and quality in a friendly atmosphere that delights fans, collectors and bargain hunters, flea markets and modern or contemporary art! Visiting the Salon d’Antibes is to make a wonderful journey over time among works created from antiquity to the present day. It gibes the possibility to discover the different periods of the history of art and the different styles of interior decoration. The journey through the stands offers unique, exceptional pieces, testifying to the possible marriage between styles. The works of the greatest artists of painting and sculpture of the twentieth century and contemporary art, but also those of the great names of designer furniture, vintage or industrial up to date, interact with the sublime furniture and objects of art. Art of the Age of Enlightenment, signed by the Masters of the time: André-Charles Boulle, Charles Cressent, Jean-Henri Riesener, Jean-François Hache and Martin Carlin. Also, the heart of the Salon d’Antibes beats in tune with the 18th century furniture that reigns in all the majesty of its splendour and the excellence of its most famous creators.
The Salon d’Antibes continues to surprise by selecting each year new exhibitors emblematic of the latest trends in contemporary art while selecting the most specialized antique dealers. Visit the Salon d’Antibes is also reconnect with a great French tradition, that of the celebration of an art of living that transforms your interior into a real case of elegance and refinement. The public composed of loyal collectors and amateurs, French and foreign, is not mistaken. Visitors return each year in number to find, among the thousand wonders, what is filling their desires! From one booth to the next, visitors move from a classic cabinet to an interior in the style of the twentieth, before discovering a stand similar admire to a New York loft. On other stands, the paintings of the great masters of modern art or contemporary art are presented as on the walls of a museum. Elsewhere, table services and silverware are installed as for the most beautiful meals. And unpretentious porcelain services are arranged next to a fabulous table, which used to be in the Royal Palace in Versailles! This is also the spirit of the Salon d’Antibes: the simplicity meets the exception, outdoor spaces in open access adjoin the furniture and museum-quality art objects installed in the large marquee, with, in all case, a pledge of affordable beauty and quality. And, of course, coming to Salon d’Antibes also means reconnecting with a unique art of living, “this side of paradise” as FS Fitzgerald said during her stays in Antibes. The little town fascinates visitors with its beauty, exhibiting its many wonders including the castle of the museum Picasso, the bastion of St. Andrew, the house of Nikos Kazantzakis, author of the novel Zorba the Greek, the Provencal market with its innumerable proposals for typical products and smells of lavender and lemon, and the museum of Peynet, master of humorous design.
Practical information: the 46th Antibes Art Fair is open every day from April, 21st to May, 8th from 10.30am to 7.30pm. It takes place on the Esplanade of the Pré des Pêcheurs – Port Vauban – at the entrance of the old Antibes – The tourist office is located: 32, boulevard d’Aguillon; the entrance costs 10 euros, 5 euros for children under 18 and for students, and is free for people with reduced mobility and their accompanying persons. Entry into the open spaces is free. It is a 15-minute drive from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport or the A8 motorway (exit 44: Antibes) and a 10-minute walk from Antibes SNCF Train Station. In the basement there is a guarded three-storey car park with 600 spaces, with direct elevator access to the entrance to the fair, plus guarded parking at the port and free entry to the city. At the entrance of boulevard d’Aguillon, a valet will park your car. Moreover, this year there is the possibility of booking a private guided tour. At the booth of the National Chamber of Experts and the European Art Confederation, the Fair’s organizers offer two more experts, who freely give their opinion on authenticity, age, style and restoration of your purchases. The hostesses at the reception speak English, French and Italian and can book a taxi. Dogs can enter if they are on a leash. Special services are offered to the VIP: driver, bodyguard, private guided tours, reservations in a restaurant, hotel or apartment, arrival at the Vauban port heliport, mooring and the landing directly entered the South dock lounge, shipping purchases. These services alone make understand the size and the status of this Fair, guardian of a great artistic and cultural world heritage. More information and websites: tel. 04 93 34 65 65 – Tourist Office of Antibes old: 32, bd d’Aguillon – www.salon-antiquaires-antibes.com FB: facebook.com/antibesartfair A.C.A.A.F.V.A. President Gérard Fantino – tel. Sandrine Barale 04 93 34 65 65 barale.sandrine@wanadoo.fr