What does Rue Valperga inspire in you?
Rue Valperga is located in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Nice, at the very end of Avenue Notre-Dame, which is certainly the most beautiful avenue in Nice with very interesting buildings from an architectural point of view and with the Notre-Dame Church offering a superb perspective. It’s a neighborhood with a rich cultural history, which has experienced a certain disinterest over the past 15 years, but with the prospect of the tramway works being completed in Nice and with new energies mobilizing, I am sure that this area in the center of Nice will experience new dynamics in the coming years. It’s up to the entrepreneurs, merchants, and artists living in this neighborhood to imagine its future and to implement it.
Who are you?
I met Nathalie Tereshchuk somewhat thanks to her ancestors, Cossack princes and art lovers. During one of my business trips to Kiev, I met her by chance at an exhibition of paintings, some of which depicted a distant relative of hers. Her extensive knowledge of Slavic art and culture (Ukrainian and Russian in particular), and indeed her eyes, quickly convinced me that we should share the richness and particular sensitivity of contemporary Slavic artists with French and European collectors. We spent several months meeting and then convincing some of these most talented artists to entrust us with their promotion in Western Europe and North America. It was then that we decided to open a gallery in Nice. The name of this gallery “Princess of Kiev” is a tribute to the historical relations between France and the entire Slavic world. Indeed, it was Anna Yaroslavna, the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Prince of Kiev, who, in the 11th century, married Henry I, King of France, and reigned over France until her son could reign under the name of Philip the Fair.
What are your plans for this street?
We chose Nice because we believe this city is destined to become the regional capital of art. This city has both a cultural history and quality political and economic infrastructure, and it is the obligatory stopover for many French and, above all, foreign collectors who stay in our region. It is relatively easy to convince quality artists to exhibit on the Côte d’Azur; it is now necessary to let these wealthy and more modest collectors know where to find them, to organize quality events, and to welcome them properly. In this street, we have already opened a gallery where we present quality Slavic artists (some very well-known and established, others younger and full of promise), mostly figurative and optimistic. For us, this gallery must bring pleasure to the eyes. We chose this street because the artistic future of this neighborhood is yet to be created, and we found a first core of artists, an art gallery (Norbert Pastor), high-level decorators (Da Vinci, Harmonie,…) who give us hope that this ambition is possible. With these art professionals, but also with other merchants in the neighborhood (restaurants,…) we want collectors and art lovers to take great pleasure in coming to this neighborhood for an afternoon or an evening, and also to make good deals. We are currently working on another project that will further increase the number of artists who will come to exhibit.
What is the date of the next not-to-be-missed event?
The next event will take place on Thursday, December 7th, from 6:30 PM: other galleries and artist studios on the street will be open, and we will welcome collectors for a new exhibition on the theme “Colorful Dreams of the Princess of Kiev”. Then, in January, we will present our more classic artists (Melnykov, Levchyshyna, Marus,…), and from February 15th to March 30th, we will have the pleasure of introducing you to the “Fantastic World of the Princess of Kiev”.
Which are the dynamic galleries on this street?
The Norbert Pastor Gallery and the studios of two artists (Celia GOUVEIAC and Marie-Caroline FERRAND) present quality and highly original works
How do you feel about Art in Nice?
A bit like in many other cities in France. There is the official doctrine of our administrative and political elites who finance a certain form of art, very intellectual, with prices manipulated by agreements among merchants and cultural officials. This world lives in autarky and contributes little to the actual dynamics of a city. And then, there are many artists, some experienced, some talented, and there is a crowd of art enthusiasts who want to enjoy themselves. It is this world of diversity of talents and arts that can generate and sustain the cultural and artistic influence of a city like Nice. Today, I encounter too many people from Nice, Paris, and abroad who are dissatisfied with the artistic menu offered by the Ministry of Culture, Nice, and its region. I aim, with my modest means, and with the support of artists’ associations and art market professionals, to participate in broader development.
What does the contribution of Eastern European art in Nice and France mean to you?
Nice has always maintained very close relationships with artists from Eastern Europe. They accompanied the Russian nobles vacationing on the Côte d’Azur or fled there from the execrations of communist regimes. Since forever, these Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian,… artists have benefited from a complete and quality education, learning to draw and master all artistic techniques. With the collapse of the communist regime, they now enjoy a creative freedom that allows them to express a very particular Slavic sensitivity, with the stunning colors unique to Ukraine, with the influence of religious painting (icons), with post-modernist works, and more. Often, no explanation is needed to be touched by the beauty of their works. One of my greatest pleasures is also to organize meetings between French and Slavic artists and to observe the richness of exchanges between these two worlds.
Is your gallery successful?
Our gallery is still very young, only a few months old. We already have wealthy collectors as clients, but also less affluent enthusiasts for whom I offer suitable financing options. We also often receive children who spend an hour in the gallery asking us about each painting and sculpture. Our success will be established in a few months when these first collectors return with their friends to share the pleasure they discovered visiting our gallery and purchasing a piece of art.
– Information:
Galerie Princesse de Kiev – 1, rue Valperga – 06000 Nice – [www.princessedekiev.fr](https://www.princessedekiev.fr) – Tel: 04 93 80 42 07
In the presence of guest artists Jacky Ananou and Sab – Atelier Gouveiac
1, rue Valperga 06000 – Nice – [www.gouveiac.com](https://www.gouveiac.com) – Tel: 0616173812
