magazine
UK artist puts mythical beasts into Mougins
Beth Carter displays 30 mythical bronze sculptures, plus drawings, at the Alpes-Maritimes village's Centre d’Art until November 1
Published
Modified
British artist Beth Carter has brought a collection of mythical bronze figures to the historic streets of Mougins (Alpes-Maritimes), as part of two exhibitions running in the Provençal town until November 1.
The artist, who is based near Bristol, was selected to participate in the annual Mougins Monumental, a free open-air exhibition staged throughout the historic location near Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes).
This year’s edition, titled Mythe, mélancolie, magie, features 30 of Ms Carter’s large-scale sculptures, which combine the human figure with mythological and animal forms.
Works on display range from a half-man, half-fawn figure beside an ancient church to a beaked ‘bird king’ overlooking the Provençal landscape, with maps marking the sites available from the local tourist office.
A gallery exhibition titled Contes pour chasser la tristesse (‘Tales to banish sorrow’) is also being held in the Centre d’Art Mougins, with a series of Ms Carter’s charcoal drawings, prints, and sculptures made from plaster and bronze.
Linked to Picasso
“Exhibiting where Picasso spent the last years of his life is fascinating for me as an artist and brings his work to life in a very powerful way,” said Ms Carter.
“His images have helped me understand my own relationship to the Minotaur figure, which is a theme that has endured in my work for almost 30 years. The myth is close to my heart and filled with personal symbols,” she added.
In 2023, on the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death in Mougins, Ms Carter was invited to exhibit three sculptures in the grounds of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Vie, beside Picasso’s final home.
A museum dedicated to women artists
Another of Ms Carter’s contributions to Mougins artistic history is her Minotaur on box, which is also permanently displayed in the Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins (FAMM) – the first private museum in Europe dedicated exclusively to women artists.
It first opened in June 2024 and shows works by international women artists including Frida Kahlo and Joan Mitchell.
“FAMM is a unique museum that is home to a significant collection of exquisitely selected works. I am thrilled to be in such an incredible artistic company. To be part of the collection is a deep, deep honour,” said Ms Carter.
