Fondation Vincent van Gogh (Arles Vincent van Gogh Foundation), Arles

The Fondation Vincent van Gogh in Arles is a contemporary art center housed in a beautifully restored 15th-century hôtel particulier. Rather than having a permanent collection, the foundation mounts rotating exhibitions that always include at least one original Vincent van Gogh painting, alongside works by modern and contemporary artists deeply inspired by him.

Visitors can see pieces by Van Gogh drawn from major collections, as well as works by artists such as Yan Pei-Ming, Roni Horn, Alice Neel, Urs Fischer, and David Hockney. The foundation also highlights historical figures who influenced Van Gogh, like Jean-François Millet and Adolphe Monticelli.

Its exhibition spaces—spread across about 1,000 m²—include a main gallery, an atrium, and the former rooms of a 19th-century bank director. On the top floor, a terrace offers panoramic views of Arles, the Rhône, and the ruined abbey of Montmajour—landscapes that were very dear to Van Gogh.

Recent and past shows have ranged from the “Studio of the South” residency featuring contemporary artists and Van Gogh’s spirit of artistic collaboration to thematic exhibitions like “The High Yellow Note”, exploring emotional and formal limits in art.