The enchanting Frank Ghery-designed space at LUMA’s campus in Arles hosts an ongoing rotation of exhibitions and other artistic happenings. Currently on view is “Live Evil, an exhibition of work by Arthur Jafa open through October 30. The expansive show—the largest, most comprehensive presentation of Jafa’s work thus far—reflects on the artist’s widespread exploration of Blackness and race in our contemporary society through new and recent works (including some made especially for the exhibition) and a compilation of some of the artist’s most significant feats.
Arthur Jafa, installation view of “Foxy Lady Latour” in “Live Evil” at La Grande Halle, Parc des Ateliers, LUMA, Arles, France; photo ©Adrian Deweerdt, courtesy of the artist and LUMA Arles.
With an oeuvre that falls outside of typical categories, Jafa relies on mediums like film, photography, sculpture, sound, and more to convey his narratives. Representing many of his artistic facets, “Live Evil” stretches across two of LUMA’s exhibition halls and is organized by LUMA’s Director of Exhibitions and Programs Vassilis Oikonomopoulos and curator Flora Katz with support from the Junior Project Manager Claire Charrier.
Within La Mécanique Générale, key works from Jafa’s career include films like akingdoncomethas and The White Album from 2018; installations of photos and sculptural works like Big Wheel II, mapping out the current psychology of race relations in America; and a modified iteration of the 2013 APEX, which Jafa has deemed SloPEX, which sees a large collage of images on special wallpaper, encompassing the exhibition hall with its sounds.
Arthur Jafa, installation view of “Big Wheel II,” “Geto,” “Ex-Slave Gordon 1863” in “Live Evil” at La Mécanique Générale, Parc des Ateliers, LUMA, Arles, France; photo ©Adrian Deweerdt, courtesy of the artist and LUMA Arles.
Meanwhile, in La Grande Halle, a transformative environment has been achieved with Jafa’s most recent installations of image and sound. Lying central, an installation born of cinema, sound, and technology titled AGHDRA poses a painful thesis on the end of civilization as we know it, with imagery of a seaside landscape accompanied by 12 sound segments of sound. Here, viewers will find works like an homage to the artist’s recently deceased friend, Greg Tate, capturing the depth of human emotions, and a suite of billboards and environments examining aspects of Black culture and the human condition.
Arthur Jafa, “AGHDRA,” © and courtesy Arthur Jafa.
Arthur Jafa, “Slowpex” in “Live Evil” at La Mécanique Générale, Parc des Ateliers, LUMA, Arles, France; photo ©Adrian Deweerdt, courtesy of the artist and LUMA Arles.
