Disobedient images - Arles photo festival
This 56th edition of the photography festival explores the multifaceted nature of identity and cultural exchange, echoing Édouard Glissant's celebration of intercultural dialogue. The festival showcases photography as a tool for resistance, social transformation, and cultural translation, countering dominant narratives with diverse perspectives from Australia, Brazil, North America, and the Caribbean.
The program features a dialogue between contemporary and emerging artists, vernacular photography and modernism, highlighting the rich artistic landscape of Brazil within the context of the Brazil-France 2025 season. Exhibitions like "Futurs ancestraux" re-examine colonial heritage and the struggles of Afro-Brazilian, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+ communities, while "Retratistas do Morro" unveils the daily life of Belo Horizonte's Serra favela.
The work of Claudia Andujar, dedicated to the Yanomami people, and the Foto Cine Clube Bandeirante, representing Brazilian modernist photography, are also featured. Australian Indigenous artists explore their deep spiritual connection to the land, showcasing resilience against climate and political challenges. The festival also examines the United States through the lens of Berenice Abbott's unfinished project, highlighting economic fractures and identity tensions.
European perspectives are represented by Louis Stettner's social and political engagement, and Letizia Battaglia's powerful portrayal of Sicilian Mafia violence. The festival includes works by prominent figures like Nan Goldin, exploring familial and social relationships, and Agnès Geoffray, who revisits the history of institutions for young girls in France. The inclusion of the Marion and Philippe Jacquier collection of anonymous photographs offers a glimpse into everyday lives, while the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition explores the couturier's relationship with photography. Finally, the festival celebrates emerging talent through the Prix Découverte 2025.
More information rencontres-arles.com - tel. + 33 4 42 1 34 34.

Beneath the Cobblestones, the Earth - Sigmar Polke
This exhibition, the first major Polke retrospective in France since 2014, showcases over sixty works, some never before seen by the public.
The title itself is a nod to the May 1968 slogan, but also references Polke's fascination with the potato, a symbol echoing Van Gogh's depiction of the humble tuber as representing the connection to the earth, peasant labor, and the meals of the poor. While vastly different artists, both Van Gogh and Polke shared a positive temperament, a deep humanism, and a desire to break free from established artistic norms.
The exhibition opens with two Van Gogh paintings, "Peasant and Peasant Woman Planting Potatoes" and "Basket of Potatoes," highlighting this thematic link. Polke's attraction to the potato, in the context of post-World War II Europe, reflects his engagement with popular culture and the realities of a society still recovering from the war's devastation.
The retrospective offers a comprehensive look at Polke's innovative and significant contributions to art, inviting viewers to discover or rediscover one of the most important and influential artists of our time. The exhibition's curation thoughtfully traces Polke's artistic journey, revealing the evolution of his style and techniques through a diverse range of works. From his early paintings to his later experiments with photography and mixed media, the exhibition provides a rich and nuanced understanding of his artistic vision. The inclusion of previously unseen pieces adds a layer of excitement and discovery, allowing viewers to engage with Polke's work in a fresh and insightful way. The exhibition's success lies not only in its comprehensive scope but also in its ability to connect Polke's artistic practice to broader social and historical contexts.
By highlighting the thematic resonance between Polke and Van Gogh, the exhibition underscores the enduring power of art to reflect and engage with the human condition. The juxtaposition of these two artists, separated by nearly a century, reveals a surprising continuity in their artistic sensibilities and their commitment to exploring themes of humanity, labor, and the everyday. The exhibition serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of both artists and their profound impact on the art world.
The careful selection of works, combined with the exhibition's thoughtful presentation, creates a compelling narrative that celebrates Polke's artistic achievements while also placing them within a broader historical and cultural framework. The retrospective is a must-see for anyone interested in contemporary art, offering a unique opportunity to engage with the work of a truly groundbreaking artist. The exhibition's success is a testament to the enduring power of Polke's art and its ability to resonate with audiences across generations.
Until October 26, 2025 - More information fondation-vincentvangogh-arles.org - tel. + 33 4 88 65 82 93.

Sortilèges
The 10th anniversary program of the Manuel Rivera Ortiz Foundation, focuses on mystery, magic, and occult worlds, and exploring themes of belief, witchcraft, and the tension between rationality and spirituality in contemporary society. The summary should mention the involved artists and collectives.
In 2025, the Manuel Rivera Ortiz Foundation celebrates its 10th anniversary with an immersive exploration of mystery, magic, and the occult at the Hôtel Blain. The program, titled "Sortilèges," delves into the invisible, challenging conventional beliefs and exploring the interplay between ancient rites, legends, and mystical forces. The exhibition blurs the lines between the strange and the wonderful, presenting a sensory journey into the intangible. It questions the concepts of good and evil, examining marginalized practices like witchcraft as expressions of mystical power or social defiance.
Belief and witchcraft are intertwined throughout history, reflecting our fears and aspirations. The advent of writing and the Bible marked a turning point, structuring the sacred and the profane, leading to witch hunts that persecuted those who possessed alternative knowledge or challenged established dogma. The program examines figures like the Black Madonna and Sainte Sarah, exploring popular beliefs that transcend cultures and eras. The figure of the witch, alternately feared and rehabilitated, is presented through a feminist lens as a symbol of power, resistance, and forbidden knowledge.
Fotohaus amplifies the program with the theme "Kontroverse et Paradoxe," highlighting the tensions between belief and reality. In a rationalist French and European society, spirituality often occupies a peripheral position, oscillating between fascination and rejection. "Sortilèges" challenges the established order, uncovering hidden aspects of our cultures and rehabilitating the mysterious in contemporary society. It reflects on the suppression of non-conformist figures and the resonance of these obscured memories in our present world.
society, prioritizing rationalism, has often rejected or minimized spiritualities outside its institutional frameworks. Yet, these marginalized beliefs and practices persist, offering alternative worldviews. The program prompts us to consider our willingness to embrace the inexplicable, to integrate these suppressed traditions and knowledge to build a more open world, or whether we are destined to perpetuate the exclusion of that which transcends our reason.
Participating artists include Joan ALVADO, Ian CHEIBUB, Maja DANIELS, Alexandre Dupeyron DUPEYRON, Weronika GĘSICKA, Jann HOEFER, Martin LAMBERTY, Laura LAFON CADILHAC, Silvia PRIÓ, Virginie REBETEZ, Wlad SIMITCH, Ann-Christine WOEHRL, along with collectives FREELENS, INLAND, Laif.
Until October 5, 2025 - More information mrofoundation.org - tel. + 33 4 90 54 15 63

A conversation piece, Michelangelo Pistoletto et Lee Ufan en dialogue
Lee Ufan Arles presents an unprecedented dialogue between Michelangelo Pistoletto and Lee Ufan at the Hôtel Vernon this summer. Born three years apart in vastly different cultural and geographical contexts—Pistoletto in Italy (1933) and Ufan in Korea (1936)—both artists have profoundly impacted contemporary art history. Associated with Arte Povera and Mono-Ha respectively, their works explore the relationship between objects, architecture, and the viewer. While their aesthetic approaches initially appear distinct, this exhibition reveals unexpected convergences.
Pistoletto's contribution to the Espace MA comprises a curated selection of recent and historical works, integrated with the existing space dedicated to Ufan. This arrangement fosters a conversation around shared themes, notably the concept of infinity, a recurring motif in both artists' careers.
The exhibition emphasizes the viewer's role, showcasing a shared aesthetic sensibility characterized by minimalism and a sense of purity. The careful juxtaposition of their works highlights the surprising common ground between these two masters, despite their different artistic backgrounds and approaches. The exhibition's design itself reflects this shared aesthetic, creating a space for contemplation and dialogue between the works and the viewer. The careful selection of pieces, both historical and recent, allows for a comprehensive understanding of each artist's contribution to contemporary art, while simultaneously highlighting the unexpected connections between their seemingly disparate styles.
The exhibition is not merely a presentation of individual works, but a carefully constructed conversation between two artistic giants, revealing the underlying unity in their diverse approaches to art-making. The shared emphasis on the viewer's experience and the minimalist aesthetic creates a cohesive and thought-provoking exhibition that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries. The exhibition's success lies in its ability to highlight both the individual strengths of each artist and the surprising points of convergence in their artistic visions.
Until October 5, 2025 - More information leeufan-arles.org - tel. + 33 9 78 07 83 26