Les Alyscamps, Arles

Van Gogh, tourist magnet

The scorching sun, the Rhône winding majestically through the city, lively café terraces, Roman ruins, Van Gogh—the ever-present tourist magnet—and everywhere, down one alley or another, contemporary art exhibitions. Arles is a beautiful small town, the capital of the Camargue, which, come summer, turns into an undisputed capital of high-caliber international contemporary art.

Luma, Arles

Sigmar Polke

Besides the Rencontres de la Photographie and its 47 exhibitions (see full report here), be sure not to miss the retrospective of a major painter of the second half of the 20th century, Sigmar Polke (1941-2010), currently on view at the Van Gogh Foundation.

Sigmar Polke

He was a boundless experimenter of figuration and abstraction who worked, in a tone both ironic and intimate, in photography, lithographic prints, layered transparencies and even dabbling in alchemical processes. The exhibition isn’t particularly didactic (which is unfortunate, given the complexity of his work), but several pieces are exceptionally powerful.

Sigmar Polke

Lee Ufan, Arles

Angelo Pistoletto/ Lee Ufan

Just a few hundred meters away, Lee Ufan Arles—the institution dedicated to the Korean artist (born in 1936)—puts him in dialogue with one of the great living Italian artists, Michelangelo Pistoletto (born in 1933). (An upcoming report will be specially dedicated to their exchange.)

Wael Shawky

But above all, on the site of Frank Gehry’s famous gleaming tower, the Luma Foundation is presenting a wealth of exhibitions. At least two of which can’t be missed.

The first is a major installation by internationally acclaimed Egyptian artist Wael Shawky (born in 1971), who is known for his films recounting mythological stories( See here a report about the Art Dubai 2025 featuring the work of Wael Shawky). “When you read different mythologies, whether they be Greek or Egyptian, it’s always the same story: the human quest for justice,” the artist explains.

Pompeii and the Nile

The film being projected here, on a giant screen, was shot at real locations between Pompeii and the Nile. The protagonists are human, but each wears a grotesque terracotta mask handmade by the artist. Grotesque “because I always want to keep a sense of humor.”

The strange, hypnotic narrative unfolds slowly, like the characters gliding down the Nile. It is recited in classical Arabic with subtitles. “In Pompeii, I was fascinated by this petrified history. I use culture as a medium, a raw material. The flood appears in Greek mythology as a major turning point in the narrative. What’s fascinating is that it’s the same flood we find in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam when humanity reaches a level of sin that is too high. The subconscious drive in these mythologies is to erase everything and start again with a new humanity.”

Wael Shawky

Venice Biennale

In my opinion, this film is even more captivating than the one shown at the Egyptian Pavilion at the last Venice Biennale—which brought him widespread recognition—because this time, it is a true film, not just a filmed theater piece. Also worth noting is that Shawky has been appointed artistic director of the highly anticipated Art Basel Qatar, set to debut in February 2026.

Ho Tzu Nyen

The other remarkable discovery at Luma is that of Ho Tzu Nyen, a Singaporean artist (born in 1976) who is a true virtuoso of video art. (I had already taken note of his work in March 2025 at a show by the Kiang Malingue gallery in Hong Kong.)

His films and animations often address political and anti-colonial themes, though never in an obviously linear way. What’s most striking in his work is the technique of screen juxtaposition—layering multiple simultaneous narratives, like a security monitoring room telling overlapping stories.

Perspective of Marcel Duchamp

As he explains: “An image is already made up of successive layers: the foreground, the background, the deep background that creates perspective, etc. We believe it’s truthful. But it’s an illusion. It’s the same in politics… When we’re young, to understand others, we adopt their perspective.” He adds: “During my artistic development, I encountered the perspective of Marcel Duchamp. It opened my mind.”

East and West  meeting

Ho Tzu Nyen

His most stunning work is “One of Several Tigers,” in which moving images are projected onto screens that are juxtaposed with cut-outs, as in the traditional plays of Balinese shadow puppet theater. “It’s as if East and West were meeting,” he says—combining the motion-driven imagery of Eastern traditions with Western cinematic language. Ho Tzu Nyen is an exceptional inventor of forms.

Wael Shawky. Through November 2.

Ho Tzu Nyen. Through January 11.  Luma Arles. www.luma.org/fr/arles.html

Sigmar Polke: Through October 26. www.fondation-vincentvangogh-arles.org

Michelangelo Pistoletto and Lee Ufan: In Conversation. Through October. www.leeufan-arles.org