French artist Jean-Marc Bustamante is set to open a major new cultural institution in the heart of Arles this summer. Opening on 9th July 2026 during the launch week of the Rencontres d’Arles photography festival, the Fonds Bustamante will debut with En Miroirs, an ambitious exhibition bringing together works by Bustamante alongside a selection of artists who have shaped his artistic journey.
Located within the newly restored 12th-century Église Sainte-Croix, the foundation represents a significant new addition to Arles’ thriving cultural landscape, joining institutions including LUMA Arles, Lee Ufan Arles and Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles.
A pioneering figure in contemporary art since the 1970s, Bustamante has built an internationally recognised practice spanning photography, sculpture and painting. Over the course of his career, he has represented France at the São Paulo Biennial and the Venice Biennale, participated in three editions of Documenta, and exhibited at institutions across Europe, Asia and beyond.
The foundation formalises a relationship with Arles that stretches back more than five decades. Bustamante first exhibited in the city in 1973 and was among the earliest artists to participate in the Rencontres d’Arles.
The new institution will be guided by three core missions: preserving and making accessible Bustamante’s archive and library; supporting artists through an ambitious exhibition programme spanning multiple disciplines; and continuing his longstanding commitment to education through masterclasses, conferences and public events.
“The relationship between artists and the contemporary art world is undergoing profound changes which are forcing us to rethink exhibition models and their presentation to the public,”
said Bustamante.
“My life as an artist, but also as a teacher and director of institutions have led me, out of a concern for freedom and independence, to establish a foundation that will provide the required time to cross-fertilise artistic experiences, offer exhibition spaces suited to a wide array of creations across all disciplines, and put artists first.”
The project has been realised in collaboration with architect and designer Charles Zana, whose restoration carefully balances contemporary intervention with the building’s layered history. Deconsecrated during the French Revolution and subsequently altered over centuries, the former church has been transformed into a flexible exhibition and research centre while retaining its architectural character.
Spread across three floors, the foundation will comprise exhibition galleries, a research centre, café and bookshop. The renovation incorporates traditional materials including terrazzo flooring, lime wash finishes and locally sourced Arles stone, while a new ceramic frieze by Bustamante will adorn the façade. Produced using enamelled lava tiles, the work pays homage to the yellow tones associated with Vincent van Gogh and the landscape of Provence.
Visitors will also encounter a major site-specific commission by Cristina Iglesias. Rising more than four metres high within the building’s double-height interior, the cast aluminium and glass sculpture establishes an immediate dialogue between architecture, contemporary art and the city’s cultural heritage.
The inaugural exhibition, En Miroirs, will run from 9th July until 31st October 2026 and reflects the foundation’s commitment to artistic dialogue across generations. Bustamante’s works will be shown alongside pieces by artists he has selected personally, creating a conversation between different approaches to painting, sculpture and photography from the late twentieth century to the present day.
Featured artists include Cristina Iglesias, Alice Anderson, Gerhard Merz, Rémy Zaugg, Rodney Graham, Reinhard Mucha, Jan Vercruysse, Franz West, Thomas Schütte, Michael Buthe, René Daniëls and Mariella Simoni.
Looking ahead, Fonds Bustamante plans to stage two major exhibitions annually, timed to coincide with Arles’ key cultural moments: the Drawing Festival in spring and the Rencontres d’Arles each summer. Accompanied by talks, roundtables and educational programmes, the foundation aims to become a permanent platform for artistic exchange within one of Europe’s most dynamic cultural destinations.
Fonds Bustamante, 27 rue de la Chartrouse 13200 Arles, France @fondsbustamante
Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 10am to 7pm Closed on Tuesdays. Full price: €9 Reduced price: €7 Free admission for Arles’ residents, schools, charitable associations, and other eligible groups
