Wolfgang Tillmans – “Rien ne nous y préparait – Tout nous y préparait” (Centre Pompidou, Paris)
Wolfgang Tillmans is one of today’s most important contemporary photographers—sensitive yet deeply political. His new Paris show, his first solo exhibition in the city in over twenty years, breaks from the traditional museum format by transforming the Pompidou’s library space into a multi-sensory installation of photographs, videos, and audio. The result is a one-person “spatial drama” where visitors can experience the merging of intimacy and public life, sensuality and politics. Performative elements make each visit a unique encounter.
Barbara Kruger – “Another Day. Another Night” (Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain)
American artist Barbara Kruger’s signature red-black-white, text-based visuals have become icons of feminist and anti-capitalist visual culture since the 1980s. This marks her first major retrospective in Spain, showcasing more than four decades of work, from classic pieces to new, site-specific creations. The exhibition creates a “linguistic experience” that engulfs walls, floors, and screens—immersing visitors in an environment of messages, sounds, and lights. Newly created works tailored to the Catalan–Basque cultural context—like Untitled (Camino)—examine the power of everyday language in modern society.
“Sanguine / Bloedrood” (M HKA, Antwerp)
Luc Tuymans, one of the giants of contemporary Belgian painting, curates this show rather than exhibiting his own work. The exhibition sets up a dialogue between Baroque masters (Caravaggio, Rubens, Van Dyck) and contemporary artists such as On Kawara and Sigmar Polke. Rather than following a chronological order, the exhibition is organized by emotional and logical associations, exploring darkness, contrasts of light and shadow, and the aestheticization of violence. Some rarely seen works are also on display.
Marlene Dumas – “Open End” (Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, Paris)
Originally from South Africa and now based in Amsterdam, Marlene Dumas is a powerful voice in figurative painting. Her works often examine the boundary between body and soul, delving into themes like political prisoners, eroticism, and death. This exhibition features decades of her work, presented in the rooms of the Bourse de Commerce. Her soft, blurred faces, haunting gazes, and otherworldly compositions elevate and unsettle in equal measure. The curatorial approach invites viewers into an almost tactile emotional journey.
Sigmar Polke – “Under the Paving Stones, the Earth” (Fondation Vincent van Gogh, Arles)
Often seen as a bridge between Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism, German artist Sigmar Polke is the focus of this summer’s special showcase in Arles. The exhibition highlights his experimental techniques—emulsions, chemical processes, grid textures—while also showcasing his political irony, social commentary, and absurdist wit. Rarely is Polke’s oeuvre presented in such a coherent way, especially in a setting as historic and picturesque as Arles.