LUMA Arles presents I Am Hymns of the New Temples, a monumental site-specific exhibition by Wael Shawky that fully transforms La Grande Halle into an immersive environment where history, myth, and the metaphysical converge. It’s simply stunning and one of the most important artworks in 21st century art century.

At the heart of the project lies Pompeii, the ancient Roman city frozen in time beneath the ashes of Mount Vesuvius. Its extraordinary preservation provides a backdrop for Shawky’s sweeping reinterpretation of the Greek myth of creation. There’s no better place than Arles for this artwork to be presented.

Through film, sculpture, drawing, and painting, the artist interlaces ancient narratives with contemporary sensibilities, creating a layered cinematic experience that explores storytelling, ritual, and collective memory. It’s vibrant and meticulously-filmed.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a film in which Gaia, the goddess of Earth, wanders through Pompeii, encountering mythological beings, masked figures, and priests in ritual processions. Shawky draws connections across civilisations, with the Temple of Isis serving as a focal point where Egyptian, Greek, and Roman traditions intertwined. By emphasising the fluidity of myth and cultural exchange across time, the artist highlights the permeability of identity and the enduring power of shared heritage.

Sculptural works in glass and bronze punctuate the installation, resonating with themes of fragility, transformation, and suspended time. Much like Pompeii itself, these objects oscillate between relic and invention, bearing the memory of catastrophe while hinting at renewal. Accompanying drawings and paintings further extend Shawky’s exploration of narrative traditions, inviting reflection on culture’s survival through cycles of destruction and rebirth. The exhibition of the summer.

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Images: Wael Shawky, I Am Hymns of the New Temples, 2025, La Grande Halle, LUMA Arles, France. I Am Hymns of the New Temples: Paintings and drawings, 2025, graphite, charcoal, pastel and oil on canvas and paper. © Victor&Simon – Victor Picon