"I thought there were some fairly ordinary works, but they are exceptional": Minister of Culture Rachida Dati launches the 21st European Night of Museums during her first visit to the Picasso Museum in Antibes

It wasn't a movie star who attracted the crowd of journalists on Friday, May 16, 2025, to the ramparts of Antibes, but the Minister of Culture. Rachida Dati chose to go to the Picasso Museum to launch the ^21st edition of the European Night of Museums.

An operation that seeks to make art more accessible since entry to the 3,000 museums in Europe (including 1,200 in France) will be free for all, this Saturday, May 17, from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Accompanied by the mayor of Antibes and with insightful commentary from Jean-Louis Andral, curator of the museum, the minister discovered the emblematic Grimaldi castle overlooking the sea, where Pablo Picasso set up his studio in 1946 to create major works such as The Joy of Living and the triptych Satyr, Faun and Centaur with a Trident . Sculptures, ceramics, charcoal drawings, paintings… At the end of his stay, the master donated around sixty creations to the city. "I must sincerely tell you that I had never been here. Mirroring the Parisian National Picasso Museum, I thought there were fairly ordinary works, but they are in fact exceptional works ," observes Rachida Dati in the gallery, which attracts 200,000 visitors a year. I find this museum a treasure, a magnificent setting."

"Everything in Antibes shows a very strong commitment to culture."

In front of the microphones, the minister praised " the cultural policy that Jean Leonetti has implemented year after year. When I see the restoration of the ramparts, which is a historical heritage, with a trail of contemporary works... Everything in Antibes shows a very strong commitment to culture, which is why it made sense for me to come to Antibes."

Rachida Dati did not fail to mention the creation of the Pôle Alpha , with its 1,000m2 reserved for the House of Artificial Intelligence in the Sophia Antipolis technology park.

"Some people contrast technological innovations with culture. There are concerns, but I think we can preserve copyright and benefit from the rise of AI. There will be great advances, and Jean Leonetti was visionary with this project," said the minister, who hopes to be present for the inauguration of Pôle Alpha by the end of 2025.