If you plan to go to Nice’s Phoenix Park, add a visit to the Asian Art Museum to your itinerary. Just a few steps away from the park, the museum is a nice complement to the park’s zoo. Designed by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, its hyper-modern form set in the midst of a lake evokes a resting swan. The site exudes a peaceful atmosphere that feels worlds away from the hubbub of the nearby zoo.
One of the newest museums in the city, it aims to conjure a sense of East Asian culture and arts across millennia. View a limited but well-chosen selection of sculptures and paintings as well as rotating temporary exhibits with more country-specific focuses.
Before entering, stop in front of the building, which sometimes looks more like a sculpture than a museum. Notice how the curved white marble walls reflect from the still water, occasionally disturbed by the path of a real passing swan.
Enter and admire the judicious permanent exhibit, which highlights trends and continuities in art from Japan, China, Southeast Asia and India. Even without reading the French-only informational plaques, see how religious and cultural connections influenced the different nations of Asia and the way they approached all forms of art.
Continue on to temporary exhibitions, which often reveal a previously unfamiliar culture, such as Mongolian watercolors. On Sunday afternoons, end appropriately with the carefully choreographed tea ceremony, which brings participants to a world thousands of miles away.
Located on the western side of Phoenix Park just east of the airport, the Asian Art Museum is relatively easily accessible, especially because it is just off the Promenade des Anglais. Nice’s Saint-Augustin train station is a 7-minute walk away, with connections to the downtown as well as other regional locations. Limited metered parking is available in nearby garages.
The museum is open from Wednesday to Monday from midmorning to evening. Hours are slightly extended in the summer. Entrance is free, with English-language audio guides available to rent for a small fee.
