Fred Allard

An impressive flagship in Nice

He has galleries in Paris, London, New York, Dubai – and now a new one back home in Nice. A lovely setting for his iconic resin inclusions.

by Caroline Stefani

“Fixing the ephemeral for eternity” is what Fred Allard says he aims to do. The Neo-Pop artist recently opened a gallery in Nice, nearly 200m² of light-filled space on Avenue de Verdun. After opening ever more galleries abroad, notably in the United States, the sculptor now has a flagship worthy of his ambitions in his home town. The new place, in industrial loft style, displays his inspirations and assorted obsessions as well as his sculptures. Designer furniture, pearl gray walls, a ceiling far above your head, shelves with art books and meaningful objects: you catch the vibe as soon as you walk in. His iconic collections – the instantly recognisable Minaudière, Paper Bag, Roller Bag, Mallette and Basket Bag – are there of course, but also some very eye-catching new items. Pictures inspired by Affichiste artists like Mimmo Rotella and Jacques Villeglé seem to hang in the air. Along with these torn-edged masterpieces we find the Mona Lisa and works that riff on Basquiat and Andy Warhol, two recurrent references in Fred Allard’s work.

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Focused on the world around him, Fred defines himself as a portraitist of society and its icons. The objects he sets in resin are symbols of childhood, Pop Culture, consumerism and, of course, the luxury trade. It’s a way for him to spotlight the paradoxes of our generation. It bags by top couture houses, basketballs, real roses: the sculptor selects each object and gives it a new lease of life. Another very personal new work is Roller Toy, a baby-sized Jordan shoe encased in resin. It’s the shoe his daughter Estelle gave him to tell him he was going to be a grandfather. It’s a way to keep the memory alive forever. Upstairs is a collectors-only space. It’s a rather minimalist designer-style space where invitees converse surrounded by objects that have belonged to famous sportspeople such as footballer Neymar, MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo or F1 driver Charles Leclerc, and exclusive Vide ton sac sculptures he created for them.