CANNES WATCH: Sylvester Stallone, the artiste, eschews Cannes this year for his exhibit

NICE, France – Last year at the Cannes Film Festival, Sylvester Stallone and his merry band of musclemen were rumbling down the Croisette in tanks to promote their film “The Expendables 3.” This year, Stallone is on the French Riviera, but for a completely different, understated reason — his artwork.

While Stallone is best known for his action films, he’s also a painter, and he presented his creations at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nice on Saturday. The retrospective includes his work from 1975 to this year.

While the show is near Cannes, it wasn’t intentional.

“It is a coincidence,” he said in an interview Saturday. “I’m here for this, so I’m not here to do anything affiliated with films.”

The exhibit includes a piece titled “Finding Rocky,” featuring perhaps the most famous character he has ever played. Stallone said “Rocky” was certainly an early inspiration, but now other things spark his interest.

“There is no way you can’t be affected by what you see on the television, by what you see on the street and so it definitely sinks into the work too,” he said. “I won’t say pessimistic but it’s questioning you know . What is life, what is all about, is it worth of it.”

But Stallone doesn’t think too deeply about the message his art is conveying — and doesn’t want others to either.

“My art isn’t one that educates, you know, it’s not making social statements, it’s not drawing conclusions, it’s not declaring what is right, it is not political,” he said. “It’s just one man’s struggle and success and all emotions you go along in life, ups and downs.”

The exhibit runs until May 30th.