Yan Pei-Ming's Epic Installation at Palais des Papes, Avignon

Yan Pei-Ming, born in China in 1960, has transformed the grand chapel of the Palais des Papes in Avignon with a monumental installation running until January 31, 2022. The exhibition, titled 'Tigres et vautours,' features three poles—south, east, and west—like parts of a dismembered altarpiece, depicting three moments of an epic of life and transcendence. A five-meter-high Crucifixion hangs nine meters above the altar, an 'Exodus' predella stretches 24 meters along the floor, and a six-meter-tall triptych 'Autoportrait en trois personnes' also lies on the ground, where the artist portrays himself as artist, pope, and common man. The crucifixion is oblique, with Christ's face resembling the painter's, looking toward the predella depicting a dark exodus of bats, which the artist defends against accusations of zoonotic disease. A concurrent exhibition at Collection Lambert (Hôtels de Caumont and Montfaucon) runs until September 26, 2021, curated by Stéphane Ibars, showcasing 40 works spanning 35 years through the lens of the artist's relationship with the image. Other ongoing shows include 'Au nom du père' at Musée Unterlinden, Colmar until October 11, 2021, and 'Autoportraits' at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris until July 31, 2021.