Claude Monet’s (1840-1926) stunning landscape painting, Antibes (1888) forms the centrepiece, and is the inspiration for, an exciting new exhibition opening at the Ferens Art Gallery in May 2021.

Monet’s painting was chosen to be the lead painting for the exhibition following a public vote – held as part of an initiative by the Ferens Art Gallery – designed to give young people in Hull an opportunity to engage with cultural decision-making. Indeed, Monet in Mind is in itself a showcase of the talents of the Future Ferens group of volunteers, aged 16-25, who worked in collaboration with the gallery’s team of experts to create this fresh and immersive exhibition.

Monet’s Antibes will be accompanied by artworks, also selected by Future Ferens, from the Gallery’s permanent collection, many of which have never been displayed together before; including pieces by Walter Richard Sickert, Philip Wilson Steer, Derwent Lees, Eileen Bessie Anderson and Barbara Hepworth.

The key theme underscoring the exhibition is that of mindfulness, with Monet’s landscape as the anchor point. Mindfulness encourages individuals to pause and take a step back from stresses and strains of life, and appreciate the present moment. Consequently, this accessible exhibition has been designed to give visitors space in which to reflect on the artworks on display and enjoy them in a calming environment.