Exhibition Nice from the shore to the sea
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The exhibition Nice from the shore to the sea will take place from May 8 to September 21, 2025, at the Massena Museum in Nice. It traces the relationship between the people of Nice and the sea, which has been both a source of enrichment and a source of fear. As part of the 2025 Year of the Sea in Nice and the Biennale des Arts et de l’océan.
Exhibition Nice from the shore to the sea
The exhibition Nice, from the shore to the sea evokes the first Greek settlements, founders of Nikaïa, up to the creation of the Promenade des Anglais and the stays of Queen Victoria. The entire history of Nice’s relationship with the sea. A relationship of “I love you, me neither.”
The exhibition covers seven key themes:
- Nikaïa the greek
- The migration of religions, the traveling saints
- The feared sea
- The late birth of a port
- The sea and the shore, objects of study
- From the Riviera to the Côte d’Azur
- Concern for the protection of the shore and the sea
Numerous historical, religious, utilitarian, and artistic objects illustrate the theme of Nice and the sea. Visitors can discover a head of a bearded man from the 2nd or 3rd century, contemporary works by Ernest Pignon-Ernest and Yves Klein, Turkish weapons, ex-votos, religious objects, old photographs, fish from the Baie des Anges and the surrounding area, and much more.
What about prehistory?
It should be noted that the territory of Nice was occupied as early as prehistoric times by nomadic hunter-gatherers. Prehistoric humans also had a relationship with the sea. But to learn more about them, you’ll need to visit another exhibition, “Prehistoric People at the Beach!” at the Terra Amata Prehistory Museum.
Practical information
Exhibition Nice from the shore to the sea
May 8 to September 21, 2025
Musée Massena
Palais Masséna
65 rue de France, Nice
Horaires
Du 1er novembre au 30 avril, de 11h à 18h
Du 2 mai au 31 octobre, de 10h à 18h
Accès
Tramway ligne n°2 – Station : Alsace-Lorraine
Bus lignes 8+ ou 12+ – Arrêt : Congrès Promenade (ou Gambetta Promenade)
