Exhibitions

Benjamin Bichard to Exhibit at La Maison Abandonée this June

IARLA BYRNE18 May, 20263 Mins read190

Selected works of Niçois artist Benjamin Bichard will be exhibited at La Maison Abandonée in Nice this June

An exhibition entitled ExtraOrdinaire taking place at the Villa Cameline in Nice this June will feature the works of local artist Benjamin Bichard.

Born in Nice in 1982, Bichard began his artistic journey at Villa Thiole before continuing his studies at Villa Arson, graduating in 2010. He subsequently relocated to Paris, joining a collective studio in Pantin where he refined a distinctive sculptural language rooted in the transformation of everyday materials. During this period, he participated in the Salon de Montrouge in 2012 and several group exhibitions, leading to his first solo exhibition at Galerie Géraldine Banier in 2015.

His practice later evolved through residencies and collaborations in Burgundy, notably at the contemporary art centre La Porcherie, where he expanded his approach to installation and spatial composition. He also took part in exhibitions staged within historic national monuments across the region, further deepening the dialogue between object, architecture, and environment.

In 2024, Le Narcissio presented his first solo exhibition in Nice, bringing together drawings and sculptural works within a unified installation. Alongside his artistic production, Bichard teaches at EMAP Nice and Villa Thiole, while continuing his work at the studios of Le 109.

^{Confidence – 2014/20
Banc en bois, crayons de couleur et
copeaux.
155 x 68 x 92 cm}

At the heart of Benjamin Bichard’s practice lies a fascination with overlooked objects and the poetic potential concealed within the ordinary. Using commonplace consumer items – objects so familiar they often disappear into the background of daily life – he creates delicate assemblages that oscillate between fragility and monumentality. Through processes of accumulation, repetition, cutting, bending, and reconfiguration, he reveals unexpected formal and sensory qualities.

His sculptures and installations transform humble materials into striking visual experiences: a bench composed of pencil shavings, a chandelier assembled from plastic knives, or a fountain made entirely of sponges. Detached from their original function, these objects acquire a new presence, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship to material culture and the disposable logic of contemporary consumption.

B.Bichard(3)grappe#1Grappe #1 - 2026Pinces à cheveux en plastique.32 x 20 x 16 cm

B.Bichard(7)Sans-titre(selette)Sans-titre (Selette)- 2023/26Bois, copeaux de crayons de couleur.112 x 35 x 35 cm

^{Left – Grappe #1 – 2026; Pinces à cheveux en plastique; 32 x 20 x 16 cm
Right – Sans-titre (Selette)- 2023/26; Bois, copeaux de crayons de couleur; 112 x 35 x 35 cm}

Bichard’s work balances humour, elegance, and critical reflection. By elevating trivial materials into carefully constructed compositions, he exposes the quiet beauty hidden within mass-produced objects while offering a subtle meditation on fragility, memory, and the rhythms of everyday life.

About La Maison Abandonnée (Villa Cameline)

A unique private art space in Nice – unlike any other in France – which has, for more than two decades, invited artists to exhibit and experiment freely within its walls.
A Belle Époque villa dating from the early twentieth century, distinguished by its richly ornamental interiors adorned with cherubs, floral motifs, and decorative friezes stretching across the walls.
Left abandoned for over fifteen years, the villa retains the traces of time and occupation that now form an integral part of its identity.
Once squatted and covered in graffiti, the space has been deliberately preserved in its raw state. Artists are invited to engage directly with this singular environment, adapting their work to a setting that stands in stark contrast to the neutrality of the traditional white cube gallery.
A deliberately eclectic programme bringing together performance, video, painting, sculpture, photography, music, and multidisciplinary practices.
An ongoing dialogue with the international art scene through close collaborations, exchanges, and joint exhibitions with a contemporary art centre in Quebec.

^{Courtesy Villa Cameline}

VISITOR INFORMATION

Exhibition – Benjamin Bichard – ExtraOrdinaire | La Maison Abandonnée (Villa Cameline), Nice

6 June to 4 July, 2026 – Vernissage Friday, 5 June 2026 at 6:30 pm

Opening hours – Wednesdays and Saturdays only, from 3 pm to 6:30 pm. Visits on other days may be arranged by emailing helene.fincker@villacameline.fr or texting +33 (0)6 60 98 49 88

Access – by bus – Ligne 23, stop Eglise Jeanne d’Arc | by tram – Ligne T1, stop Borriglione