Cannes: Jean-Michel Othoniel Enchants with “Poussière d’étoiles” at La Malmaison

From May 17, 2025, to January 6, 2026, the art center La Malmaison in Cannes becomes a luminous jewel box with the exhibition Poussière d’étoiles, by renowned sculptor Jean-Michel Othoniel. An immersive journey of light, glass, and poetry, transporting visitors into a dreamlike, sensory universe.

The exhibition features 91 works, including 53 created specifically for the newly renovated La Malmaison. Inspired by the Mediterranean light, the shimmer of the sea, and the cinematic glamour of the Cannes Film Festival, these new pieces blend seamlessly with the historical character and atmosphere of the Croisette’s oldest villa.

Othoniel invites the public to follow a silent narrative crafted from light and matter. His blown glass sculptures—his signature artistic language—interact with the architecture and natural surroundings, transforming spaces into vibrant experiences.

Some galleries glow with golden hues, illuminated by the installations Gold Rose and Gold Lotus. A shimmering powder-pink river flows through the space, while Passiflora flowers bloom on the walls—symbols of passion and sunlight. These radiant tones evoke the southern sun, the luminous beaches of the Côte d’Azur, and the vivid yellow of winter mimosa, in a visual tribute to the spirit of Cannes.

Other rooms open onto the blue horizon of the Mediterranean. Othoniel evokes liquid landscapes through reflective glass bricks, shifting appearance with the changing light—blurring the line between nature and illusion.

Born in Saint-Étienne in 1964, Jean-Michel Othoniel is one of the leading figures in contemporary French art. Trained at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he has developed a distinctive language combining sculpture, installation, and architecture, working with glass, metal, and ceramics. His often-monumental works convey worlds suspended between myth and reality, nature and culture, fragility and strength.

With Poussière d’étoiles, Othoniel offers Cannes an exhibition that is both a dream and a celebration—where light becomes the true protagonist, guiding the viewer’s eye and soul.