L’ARLÉSIENNE
The statue, restored by royal sculptor Girardon, was relocated to Versailles and later to the Louvre Museum following the Revolution. During this period, three replicas were made in Arles. The statue has inspired numerous literary works, and its exile was not contested until the late 19th century. In 2020, Arles' mayor requested its return from the Louvre.
This work investigates the Venus's presence and absence in Arles, its ties to the Arlésienne myth, and the broader impact of colonialism on the displacement of cultural artifacts, using photographs and archival images.