Residency: “Family Workshops” on Garden Biodiversity at Val Rahmeh (Menton) and Villa Arson (Nice)
From October 18 to November 2, 2025
As part of a new cultural initiative between the French National Museum of Natural History (which includes the Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden) and the Villa Arson, a transmission residency focused on the design and facilitation of family workshops is being offered to Villa Arson alumni.
Aimed at family audiences during the All Saints’ school holidays, these workshops seek to connect artistic practice with the discovery of the two gardens, fostering a dialogue between scientific knowledge and contemporary creation. The goal is to offer families a shared sensory and artistic experience while exploring the biodiversity of both sites.
The Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden is part of the French National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), which holds the third-largest natural history collection in the world—with 68 million specimens—and is dedicated to the study of nature and its relationship with humankind.
Located in Menton, the Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden is home to more than 1,800 species of subtropical and tropical plants from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. Created in 1875 and acquired by the French State in 1966, the garden was entrusted to the French National Museum of Natural History. Nestled in a valley with a unique microclimate—both warm and humid—the garden hosts species native to Mediterranean, subtropical, and tropical regions. A true open-air greenhouse, it attracts a wide variety of insects and birds and serves as a vital haven for biodiversity.
The proposed workshop should resonate with the mission statement of the French National Museum of Natural History:
“To inspire wonder in order to educate and take action.”
In addition to the workshop, the selected artist will be invited to give a talk or presentation for the association Les Amis du Val Rahmeh (Friends of Val Rahmeh).
- Application requirements: A statement of intent (maximum 2,500 characters, including spaces) and a portfolio of personal work.
Applications must be submitted by email no later than Sunday, June 29, to the following address: servicedespublics@villa-arson.org