Description
As early as the 1970s, JM Bustamante established himself as a leading figure in the French and international art scenes. His work, which spans photography, sculpture, and painting, has been featured in exhibitions at numerous leading institutions
He represented France at the São Paulo Biennial in 1994 and at the Venice Biennale in 2003, and participated in three editions of Documenta in Kassel (1987, 1992, 1997). An artist and curator, he has also been actively involved in teaching, notably as director of the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris from 2015 to 2018. His deep attachment to the city of Arles dates back to 1973, the year of his first participation in the Rencontres d’Arles, as well as his first exhibition at the Musée Réattu. Housed in the former Sainte-Croix Church, a recently restored 12th-century building, the Bustamante Collection is conceived as an independent and vibrant space, faithful to its founder’s vision, structured around three major pillars:
The first is to preserve Jean-Marc Bustamante’s body of work and archives by bringing them together in a single location and making them accessible to as many people as possible.
The second is to support artistic creation through a challenging program open to all generations and a variety of media—from video to installation, from photography to music, from painting to sculpture—by shedding light on little-known narratives and reexamining certain interpretations of art history.
The third is to extend the artist’s educational commitment through a program of master classes, lectures, and discussions, bringing together artists, researchers, and the public.
