Created in Arles at the initiative of Vera Michalski (President of the Libella publishing group, founder of the Jan Michalski Foundation) and Frédéric Pajak (writer, illustrator, and director of the publishing house Les Cahiers dessinés), the Festival du Dessin aims to showcase all aspects of this long-overlooked art form by bringing together artistic drawing, humorous and press drawing, outsider art, and parallel drawings—those created by sculptors, architects, writers, poets, filmmakers, gastronomic chefs, and major figures in fashion. Last spring, the festival’s second edition recorded 141,000 visitors.
Its third edition, which will take place in Arles from April 12 to May 11, 2025, will feature Jean-Michel Folon as its headlining artist. A hundred drawings will reveal the astonishing polyphony of this artist, who is as unclassifiable as he is instantly recognizable. With just a few strokes, he conveys the absurdity of war, the destruction of forests, the invasion of machines, as well as the mysterious and sumptuous harmony of the world.
Around this emblematic figure, the many facets of drawing will be highlighted through the works of around forty artists, including Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Nadia Léger, Annette Messager, Alan Vega, Bram van Velde, and Ossip Zadkine. Additionally, this year’s festival will introduce new thematic exhibitions: a major exhibition celebrating humorous drawing, a remarkable selection of Japanese prints from the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, an exhibition of drawings dedicated to culinary art, and 150 drawings from the prestigious Antoine de Galbert Collection.
A special focus will be placed on younger generations, with works by about fifty students from the decorative arts schools of Paris, Brussels, and Warsaw. Among other surprises, visitors will have the unique opportunity to discover the drawings of Jean Moulin, an aspect of this great historical figure that remains largely unknown. As in previous editions, the exhibitions will provide a wonderful opportunity to explore and revisit Arles’ most iconic venues: the Palais de l’Archevêché, the chapel of the Museon Arlaten – Museum of Provence, the Réattu Museum, the Arles Antique Departmental Museum, the Sainte-Anne Church, the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation, and Lee Ufan Arles.
Throughout the festival, debates, meetings, guided tours, workshops, film screenings, and concerts will punctuate this edition, making it one of the must-attend cultural and festive events of spring 2025.
