Art & Culture

Whether it is mingling with the local people, learning the native tongue, steeping yourself in French history, engaging in philosophical enquiry, enjoying a guided historical walking tour, or a bicycle expedition through the countryside, you will have the opportunity to discover a slice of the French life as you see fit.

Maussane

Maussane is home to a Provençal community steeped in French tradition and culture. The main square is the epicentre of the village and the place where people commune. Surrounded by cafés and restaurants offering an array of dining experiences, outdoor festivities and celebrations frequently light up the village where creatives can mingle and collaborate en plein air while enjoying charcuterie and wine.

At NG Art Creative, residents will have the opportunity to engage with this local community, partake in cross cultural dialogues, and explore the ample art scene.

Avignon

Avignon has been dubbed the cultural capital of Provence. Situated on the left bank of the Rhône, only 35 minutes from Maussane, Avignon is home to many boutique galleries and collections including The Lambert Collection, Musée du Petit Palais, and Musée Angladon, an 18th century mansion that showcases legendary paintings, drawings and sculpture.

Avignon champions emerging and established artists of all creative disciplines, and the streets are filled with lively cafes and bars, historic public art and sculptures, as well as an emerging street art scene.

Arles

The ancient town of Arles, at the heart of the Rhodanian Provence, is one of the most culturally rich cities in France with its Roman and Romanesque monuments, ancient aqueduct and Amphitheatre, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located only 25 minutes from Maussane, Vincent Van Gogh spent several years painting over 300 works in the town centre and its surrounds, including the infamous Café Terrace at Night.

Home to the well-known Rencontres d’Arles Photography Festival and the National School of Photography, Arles is at the forefront of Provence’s cutting edge contemporary art scene. Arles is also gateway to The Camargue, a Nature Park that comprises 86,000 hectares, famous for its emblematic birds, flora, white horses and Mediterranean salt marsh.

Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence is a thriving creative hub, located 1 hour from Maussane, that is home to a vibrant painting, sculpture, film, dance, opera, classical music, jazz, and contemporary music scene. The city has inspired many great writers, painters and musicians over the years, including Guigou, Stendhal, Mistral, Zola and, of course, Cézanne.

The Cézanne trail through the city leads you to Cézanne’s studio and the Bibémus quarries, 17 acres of wild, brooding landscapes and perspectives with colours and shapes that inspired Cezanne’s most abstract work. The Musée du Vieil Aix, Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, Musée Granet and Palais de Malte are just a few of the collections of paintings, pottery, costumes, figurines, and furniture that can be explored within this dynamic city.

Chateau la Coste

Located one hour from Maussane, Château La Coste is a vineyard where viticulture, art, sculpture, architecture and philosophy live in harmony. Artists and architects are invited to the domain to create work en plein air, to be exhibited in the vineyard’s sculpture park.

Constantly evolving and encompassing the vineyards entirety, sculptures by the likes of Antony Gormley, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Frank Ghery, Ai Wei Wei, Tom Shannon and Tatsuo Miyajima are scattered throughout the domain.

Image Credits

Image 5: Paul Cezanne La Montagne Sainte Victoire au Grand Pin Vers 1887