Hélène Guenin dreamed of specialising in medieval art, but when she discovered contemporary art it came as a shock, like an echo of our society, far removed from contemplative art. As the curator of Nice's Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain (MAMAC) for the last year, Hélène has been inputting strong new dynamics. Exit the old upstairs reception hall, today visitors walk straight in off the street, and the museum posters now feature more radical images such as Niki de Saint Phalle preparing to shoot and Yves Klein producing fire from his hand like a demiurge. This gentle but determined, proactive woman in her thirties believes art must be accessible to everyone. Having built her experience at the FRAC Lorraine then the Centre Pompidou-Metz, she is aiming for a multi-discipline approach, a meeting of the arts. Her leitmotiv? Return to the genesis of the MAMAC's collection – its works of the 1960s-1970s – and link that initial energy with other artists of the time or later who are today exploring similar paths. As likely to be fascinated by an idea, a book or a film, she sees her remit as one of transmission, proceeding rather as when walking in the mountains: step by step, drawing on reserves of effort, humbled by the moment.
Par Tanja Stojanov
Côteweb 2021, création de site Internet sur Nice