Introducing | In Search of the Missing Artist

Introducing | In Search of the Missing Artist

From Background Briefing by ABC Australia

April 6, 2026 · 2 min

About this episode

Reporter Julia Bergin investigates the mysterious artist Jean Paul Mangin, whose sculptures are sold in Melbourne despite his lack of presence in France.

For years, art buyers have been told that this man is an internationally acclaimed, intensely private Parisian sculptor. His bold, brightly coloured plastic works are available through one Melbourne gallery, and they're selling fast. But there's a problem. The artist, Jean Paul Mangin, has no website, no social media, and no discernible presence in France. His sculptures arrive in Melbourne wrapped in a single layer of bubble wrap, just days after being commissioned. When gallery staff start asking questions, they're told he's not to be contacted directly. That's when reporter Julia Bergin steps in — following a trail of clues from the bourgeois backstreets off the Champs-Elysées to an empty graveyard in country Victoria.

People in this episode

Guest: Julia Bergin

Topics covered

  • art
  • sculpture
  • mystery
  • investigation
  • culture

Keywords

  • Jean Paul Mangin
  • sculptor
  • Melbourne gallery
  • art investigation
  • cultural mystery

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ABC Australia

Places: Melbourne, France, Champs-Elysées, country Victoria

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