Antoine Dufilho exhibits at the Lavoir de Mougins until March 15, 2026
Since February 27, Antoine Dufilho has been on show at the Lavoir de Mougins with a selection of automotive and nautical sculptures organized by the Rotary Club Mougins Le Cannet. The exhibition runs until March 15, 2026, free admission. This is one of the first steps in a particularly busy 2026 calendar for the artist, who has been holding exhibition after exhibition between the Côte d’Azur, Paris and Belgium.
Le Lavoir de Mougins, a setting that changes everything
Le Lavoir de Mougins is no ordinary exhibition space. Nestled in the old hilltop village, this former stone washhouse retains its central water basin, rough stone walls and exposed wooden framework. Antoine Dufilho’s sculptures have been installed in this authentic, mineral volume, some set directly on black pedestals along the walls, others placed at the edge or above the basin itself.
The contrast between the cold material of polished stainless steel and the centuries-old stone creates an immediate visual dialogue. The reflections of the sculptures are multiplied on the surface of the water. Photographs on mirror-polished aluminum hung on the stone walls add a third layer of light to the overall effect. Rarely has a space so amplified the kinetic effects characteristic of Dufilho’s work.
Sculptures on display: automobiles, motorcycles and sailing
The exhibition showcases several approaches to sculpture as developed by Dufilho since 2012. Small-scale collector’s pieces, set on black pedestals, coexist with works in distinct techniques. The colors run the gamut of the artist’s palette: Ferrari red, burgundy red, yellow, blue, violet, black and bead-blasted stainless steel.
The Ferrari F40
The Ferrari F40 is presented in a bright red livery. Dufilho’s interpretation plays on vertical plates that embrace the radical character of the model. Produced between 1987 and 1992 to celebrate the brand’s fortieth anniversary, the F40 was the last Ferrari designed according to Enzo Ferrari’s direct philosophy. At the time of its launch, it was the fastest and most powerful car in the world, without any electronic driving aids. The silhouette is immediately recognizable: the streamlined body, the low front end, the truncated rear. Dufilho retains the essence of the car, while recomposing it in slices of lacquered metal.
The Mercedes W196 Grille
The Mercedes W196 embodies a completely different technical approach. This sculpture is constructed from black stainless steel tubes and rings that form an openwork framework, recreating the morphology of the Formula 1 single-seater that perpetuated the myth of the Silver Arrows. Its bare aluminum body gave these single-seaters their legendary silver color in their first race. Seen from the front, the material gradually fades away. This is one of the founding principles of Dufilho’s work: to achieve maximum transparency from a precise vantage point.
The Porsche 901
The Porsche 901 is presented in a lacquered black livery that highlights its curvaceous lines. This model occupies a special place in automotive history: it’s the very first Porsche 911, which began its career under the name 901 before Peugeot, having registered the three-digit names with a central zero, forced the Stuttgart-based brand to adopt the name 911. Production began in 1964. In Dufilho’s interpretation, the plates start out very narrow at the front of the car and gradually spread out towards the rear. This asymmetrical placement plays with the viewer’s perception and further accentuates the kinetic effect characteristic of the Streamline series.
The Lamborghini Revuelto
A newcomer to the world of Dufilho, the Lamborghini Revuelto is presented here in an iridescent violet finish. The Revuelto is Sant’Agata’s first hybrid supercar: it combines a naturally-aspirated V12 with three electric motors for a total of over 1,000 horsepower. Dufilho has responded with longitudinal blades whose layout evokes the sharp lines of the original model. The iridescent finish interacts with light to reveal changing shades depending on the angle of observation, reinforcing the futuristic character of a model that marks a turning point in Lamborghini’s history.
The J-Class sailboat
The exhibition also marks a first in Antoine Dufilho’s career: the presentation of a J-Class sculpture, his interpretation of the legendary J-Class sailboats. This is the first time the artist has explored the world of sailing. Crafted in bead-blasted stainless steel, the piece is built around a succession of metal blades that echo the momentum of a sail inflated by the wind. Their vertical deployment creates an upward dynamic that translates the power and finesse of these iconic sailboats. For the first time in his work, Dufilho has also sculpted the ocean itself: the base becomes a metal relief animated by gentle undulations that evoke the rhythm of the waves, inscribing the sailboat in its natural element.
Riva Aquarama
The Riva Aquarama is a subject that Dufilho has dealt with many times in his career. The piece presented here is a collection format: more intimate, it dialogues directly with the Lavoir’s water basin, recalling the element in which the Aquarama has always evolved. The alternating materials and asymmetrical base give an impression of speed, as if the runabout were emerging from the metal. For those wishing to discover the monumental version of the same subject, the mirror-polished Aquarama in Corten and stainless steel has been permanently installed at Le Touquet-Paris-Plage since November 2024.
An exhibition organized by the Rotary Club Mougins Le Cannet
The initiative was taken by the Rotary Club Mougins Le Cannet, which chose Antoine Dufilho’s work for this charity exhibition. Profits generated will be donated to Rotary’s social projects. The vernissage took place on Friday March 6, 2026 at 7pm, in the presence of the artist.
This type of partnership is not new for Dufilho. The artist has already collaborated with the Perce Neige foundation at the Paris Motor Show 2022, where a sculpture representing a Ferrari Roma was raffled off for charity. The exhibition at the Lavoir de Mougins follows the same logic: to make art accessible while supporting concrete causes.
An artist at work between the Côte d’Azur and Northern France
Antoine Dufilho is a graduate of the Lille School of Architecture and Landscape. He built his studio in the Lille countryside from shipping containers and has devoted himself fully to sculpture since 2012. After a long series of automotive models, his entry into the nautical world with the J-Class shows an artist who continues to broaden his field of exploration, while retaining the same quest: to give an immobile sculpture the sensation of real movement. His work is now represented in over 40 galleries, and his permanent installations can be seen in France, Belgium, Portugal and England. The site’s biography page details the artist’s atypical career path, combining medicine, architecture and self-education.
His visit to Mougins at the beginning of March 2026 directly precedes his participation in Lille Art Up! the contemporary art fair in northern France from March 12 to 15. Then, from March 24, his sculptures will be exhibited at the Art Antibes fair on the Côte d’Azur until April 30, then at Saint-Paul-de-Vence from May 1 to November 30, 2026. All these events can be viewed on the site’s news page.
Practical information
Antoine Dufilho exhibition at the Lavoir de Mougins
Location: Le Lavoir, Mougins (06250)
Dates: until March 15, 2026
Opening: Friday, March 6, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Free admission
All Antoine Dufilho models can be viewed on the models page of the antoinedufilho.com website.