Beyond Labels: When Art Worlds Meet in Nice

A rich interplay of perspectives, languages and visions runs through Mondes parallèles, the exhibition that, until 31 March 2026, turns Nice into a space for dialogue between artistic universes that may seem distant at first glance. At the heart of the project is the encounter between naïve art and contemporary expressions, brought to life through the collaboration between the Musée International d’Art Naïf Anatole Jakovsky and the MAMAC.

The exhibition brings together 26 works by 18 artists, including paintings, sculptures, photographs and collages. The artists come from widely different backgrounds: alongside internationally renowned figures such as Niki de Saint Phalle, Karel Appel and Christian Boltanski, the show features outsider artists, marginal or little-known figures, anonymous creators and emblematic representatives of art beyond academic conventions, such as Séraphine de Senlis.

Rather than following rigid hierarchies or classifications, the exhibition invites visitors to question the very meaning of artistic definitions. Naïve art, art brut, singular art, folk art or contemporary art: are these truly separate categories, or theoretical tools attempting to organize a far more fluid and complex reality?

The works engage in a dynamic dialogue through visual affinities, symbolic echoes and emotional resonances, revealing how every artistic creation is shaped by cross-influences, encounters and mutual contamination. What emerges is a collective narrative in which each artist constructs a personal universe while remaining open to exchange with others.

Curated by Frédérique Olivier-Ghauri, Director of the Musée Anatole Jakovsky, and Rébecca François, Curator at the MAMAC, the exhibition forms part of a broader reflection on the value and limits of artistic classifications, celebrating creative freedom as a force capable of transcending all labels.