The Absurd and the Dreamlike, a major new exhibition by Belgian conceptual artist Arne Quinze, opens in summer 2026 at the historic Citadel of Villefranche-sur-Mer. For this large-scale project, Quinze invited Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos to join him and create an extraordinary ensemble of works that delve into the poetic, the surreal, and the unexpected. In the spirit of Jean Cocteau, whose legacy is deeply embedded in Villefranche-sur-Mer, the exhibition invites visitors to rediscover the surreal and the dreamlike as essential lenses through which to reflect on our contemporary culture’s increasing distance from nature – a loss and alienation that, for Quinze, is profoundly detrimental.
Curated by Selcan Atilgan, founder of ARTSA Consultancy, a project partner of the exhibition, and presented under the direction of Camille Frasca, the exhibition unfolds across the Citadel in both monumental outdoor installations and intimate indoor environments, setting the stage for Quinze and Vasconcelos to craft a unique and extraordinary narrative that immerses visitors in The Absurd and the Dreamlike.
Within this realm of The Absurd and the Dreamlike, Joana Vasconcelos enters into dialogue with Quinze through an electrifying artistic vocabulary shaped by duality, rupture, and transformation. Her practice brings the domestic into the public sphere, liberating objects traditionally associated with intimate, private interiors and projecting them into open, exterior spaces. In doing so, She challenges long-standing perceptions of inside versus outside, private versus collective, and intimate versus monumental. By introducing handcrafted elements and domestic objects into outdoor environments and playing with dimensional dynamics, she creates an absurd and dreamlike dialogue that transforms familiar items into unexpected experiences. Through elements of surprise, she disrupts the ordinary, ushering the everyday into the surreal.
Visitors
Visitors will encounter monumental sculptures, immersive installations, oil paintings, video and sound works, as well as collaborations realized with the renowned expertise of Berengo Studio (Murano glass) and Atelier Vierkant (ceramics). These partnerships allow Quinze to push the limits of material expression and bring his most ambitious visions into physical form. The exhibition will also debut groundbreaking joint works by Quinze and Vasconcelos, interweaving their distinct artistic worlds.
In the spirit of Cocteau, the exhibition dissolves the boundaries between the rational and the fantastical, embracing the absurd, the poetic, and the dreamlike. Every space becomes a living canvas, reconnecting history, art, and nature, and inviting visitors into a realm of reflection, curiosity, and wonder.
Opening: Summer 2026
Location: La Citadelle – Centre d’art & Musée – Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
Artists: Arne Quinze and Joana Vasconcelos
Instagram: @arnequinze, @joanavasconcelosatelier, @lacitadelle_vsm, @artsaconsultancy, @selcanatilgann @camillefrasca
See also: Henry Moore and More at Wakehurst
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