Located in Parc Phoenix, at the entrance to the city of Nice, the Museum of Asian Arts has been offering since 1998 to lovers of Asia valuable pieces from China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia, as well as works and objects of art associated with Buddhism.
Kenzo Tange’s building
Built specially to house the collections of the Museum of Asian Arts in Nice, the building designed by Kenzo Tange architecture is a link between Europe and Asia, but also between tradition and modernity. Its plan is based on the combination of two very strong symbols in the Japanese tradition: the square, which symbolizes the Earth, and the circle, which is associated with Heaven. The large cylinder, surmounted by a glass pyramid, rests on four cubes arranged in a cantilevered position. The symbolism is omnipresent: the four cubes refer to the two mother civilizations of China and India, and their transmission to Japan and Southeast Asia. The rotunda and its glass pyramid are dedicated to Buddhism, the common denominator of the continent.
Collections
The collections of the Museum of Asian Arts are organized into five major thematic groups, each with a particular message:
- China is showcased with jade artwork, bronzes, polished terracotta tiles and celadon.
- Japan offers visitors all the refinement of its culture, where each object has both a practical and an aesthetic function.
- India, subject to the strong weight of tradition, revisits its themes and motifs and exalts them by relying on precious or more common materials such as ivory and stone.
- Southeast Asia bears witness to Chinese and Indian influences, with great diversity made possible by a process of assimilation and re-creation.
Buddhism is the bridge over the jungles, rivers, seas and mountains of Asia. The museum devotes a substantial space to it, highlighting the unifying role of this religion with its strong spirituality for the different Asian civilizations.
Exhibitions and activities
Exhibitions regularly shed new light on popular or confidential aspects of Asian cultures and artistic practices. The Palace Paradise exhibition, for example, highlights a funerary practice originating in Taiwan, where the relatives of a deceased person burn paper replicas of everyday objects to make them more comfortable in the afterlife. Dongba, for its part, sheds light on the religious environment of a little-known ethnic minority living in south-west China, the Nakhi, through paintings, manuscripts, costumes, etc.
Practical information
Prepare your visit to the Museum of Asian Arts in Nice:
- Opening days: open from Monday to Sunday inclusive. Closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25
- Schedule: from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from September to June, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in July and August
- Address: 405, Promenade des Anglais Arenas, 06200 Nice
- Accessibility: the museum is accessible to people with disabilities
- Website: https://maa.departement06.fr/
Selection of museums in Nice
