On January 19, 2026, Rachida DATI, Minister of Culture, following the recommendation of the institution’s Board of Directors, appointed Ulrika BYTTNER as Director of Villa Arson, National School of Art and Contemporary Art Center, located in Nice.
Born in Sweden, Ulrika BYTTNER moved to France after completing an initial degree in Political Science at the University of Gothenburg. She then attended the Institut supérieur des arts et du design in Toulouse, where she obtained the Diplôme national supérieur d’expression plastique. Her artistic practice, primarily focused on drawing, has led to her work being exhibited in numerous museums, art centers, and galleries both in France and abroad.
Ulrika BYTTNER has held several leadership positions in higher education institutions of art and design. Since 2022, she has served as the Director of École supérieure d’art et de design Le Havre-Rouen (ésadhar). She expanded the curricula to include digital arts as well as curatorial practices, while launching innovative projects such as a new Master’s programme in textile design. By fostering partnership networks with other cultural institutions and local authorities, she has been actively engaged in regional development and arts and cultural education, while simultaneously boosting research initiatives and international outreach.
As a fellow of the Cycle des Hautes Études de la Culture, Ulrika BYTTNER has conducted in-depth research on the challenges of cultural democracy and creative practices in public spaces, in relation to the evolving landscape of cultural policies. She is a member of the Conseil national de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche artistiques et culturels (CNESÉRAC) and co-president of the Association nationale des écoles supérieures d’art (ANdÉA).
Her mission will be to strengthen Villa Arson as a center of excellence and research, embracing the full diversity of artistic practices and remaining open to ecological, social, and cultural transitions. She will bolster its international influence as well as its roots within the cultural life of Nice. Furthermore, she will ensure that Villa Arson plays its full part within Université Côte d’Azur, of which the institution has become a constituent member.
Ulrika BYTTNER will also be responsible for uniting the student and teaching communities around shared values, diversifying profiles, and placing the quality of professional integration at the heart of her strategy.