Lee Ufan says that Arles changed his thinking when he first came here in 2012. Now he has given the town two gifts that illustrate his attachment to the area. Fans of the artist will already have seen his work in the vineyard sculpture park at Château La Coste in Puy-Sainte-Réparade. The year 2022 will confirm his lasting affection for Arles, city of photography and birthplace of Lucien Clergue and Christian Lacroix. As part of the celebrations marking the 40 years since Unesco first listed Arles’Roman monuments as World Heritage, Lee has an exhibition entitled Requiem in the Alyscamps necropolis. The spiritual resonance of these humbly majestic sculptures chimes perfectly with the Roman tombs around them. Along the path, in the Eglise Saint-Honorat and in the various chapels, these contemplative works comprised of sheet iron, stone blocks or spare, mystical canvases conduct a dialogue with nature, architecture and the world. It’s a wonderful foretaste of what to expect at the Lee Ufan Arles foundation, due to open this Spring in the listed Hôtel de Vernon, midway between the Amphitheatre and Place du Forum. The three floors have space for exhibitions, receptions, readings, concerts and more, around an inner courtyard. The place has been redesigned by architect Tadao Ando, a friend of Lee’s who also designed the artist’s first museum on Naoshima island in Japan, in 2010. Clearly, Lee Ufan means to put down roots in Arles
Par Caroline Guiol - Photo Claire Dorn