To Vincent: a Winter's Tale

Inspired by Vincent’s correspondence, major modern and contemporary artists take up the themes he addressed and present their works to him as if they were letters.

In doing so, they fulfill Van Gogh’s wish to be “a link in the chain of artists.”[1]

Artists: Harold Ancart, Jacopo Benassi, Martin Boyce, James Castle, Louise Chennevière, Gérard Collin-Thiébaut, Rineke Dijkstra, Simone Fattal, Gustave Fayet, Dominique Ferrat, Joseph Grigely, Nathanaëlle Herbelin, Isidore Isou, Ann Veronica Janssens, Hans Josephsohn, Anselm Kiefer, Mark Manders, Sylvain Prudhomme, Louise Sartor, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rico Weber & Vincent van Gogh

Van Gogh’s time in Provence, from his arrival in snow-covered Arles in February 1888 to his departure from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence twenty-seven months later, seems both novelistic and tragic. His dazzling painting, the significant development of his correspondence, his yellow house, Gauguin’s visit, his mutilated ear, his bouts of depression, all fuel the legend of this artist, adding up to a true winter’s tale.

Beyond the myth, however, lie both the actual work of the Dutch master, which flourished during this period, and his letters, which served as a real testing ground for his thoughts on art. His work acquired such depth in Provence that it continues to inspire creatives the world over to this day, solidifying Vincent’s place as a “link in the chain of artists.”[2]

At the heart of the exhibition To Vincent: a Winter’s Tale are the artists who bear witness to Van Gogh’s ongoing relevance, and the artworks they have chosen to exhibit serve as letters addressed to him. Using a variety of mediums, styles, and techniques, these artists explore and reflect upon the ideas expressed in the painter’s correspondence—whether related to landscape, light, portraiture, friendship, or solitude. Together, their responses tell a tale of their own.

The exhibition presents the work of twenty-two artists from different generations. Some of them are not very well known—such as Dominique Ferrat (born 1954), who has pursued her work outside of the public eye for more than four decades, or James Castle (1899-1977), who has often been associated with outsider art in America. Others, whose areas of interest resonate with Vincent’s own, are established figures in contemporary art: Harold Ancart (born 1980), Rineke Dijkstra (born 1959), Joseph Grigely (born 1956), Nathanaëlle Herbelin (born 1989), Ann Veronica Janssens (born 1956), Mark Manders (born 1968), Wolfgang Tillmans (born 1968), and Anselm Kiefer (born 1945), who is presenting drawings he made in Provence at the age of seventeen, during a trip he made to follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh.

It also includes both historical works—by artists such as Gustave Fayet (1865-1925), who, as an artist and collector, contributed to Van Gogh’s growing renown, Hans Josephsohn (1920-2012), who made powerful sculptures, and hypographic agitator Isidore Isou (1925-2007) ­– and works by contemporary artists who have responded directly, creating works specifically for the exhibition—Jacopo Benassi (born 1970), Martin Boyce (born 1967), Gérard Collin-Thiébaut (born 1946), Simone Fattal (born 1942), and Louise Sartor (born 1988).

Two of Van Gogh’s paintings, on loan from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, an original letter addressed to Gauguin from the collection of the Musée Réattu in Arles, as well as several previous editions and examples of Van Gogh’s correspondence will also be presented, making the resonance with the work and life of Van Gogh all the more powerful.

An original catalogue published by the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles will trace the unique trajectory of this exhibition. It is organized around the major themes of Van Gogh’s correspondence and features two new letters addressed to him by contemporary writers Sylvain Prudhomme—who welcomes him to Provence—and Louise Chennevière—who bids him goodbye.

Exhibition curators: Jean de Loisy and Margaux Bonopera

Luc Vezin, “James Castle’s Quiet Life”: January 19, 6:30–7:30pm
Luc Vezin retraces, in a multi-voiced novel, the ordinary life of an extraordinary artist.

Wouter van der Veen, “Van Gogh’s Letters”: February 3, 6:30–7:30pm
An exploration of Van Gogh’s correspondence.

Louise Chennevière and Sylvain Prudhomme, "Cher Vincent...": February 18, 7–8pm
A musical reading of the letters they wrote to Van Gogh, published in the catalogue.

David Brunel, “Through the eyes of...”: March 3, 6:30–7:30pm
A historical, philosophical, and sociological overview of the exhibition.

Hervé Gauville, “Van Gogh on Screen”: March 24, 6:30–8pm
Talk and screening: exploring Van Gogh in cinema.

Brune Campos and Léo Ceelee, *Heartfelt Words*: April 14, 7–8pm
A musical staged reading inspired by Van Gogh’s letters.

^{1. Vincent van Gogh, letter to Theo, on or about 20 May 1888, Arles
[2] Ibid.}