With his exhibition COSMOS, Jean-Michel Othoniel lights up Avignon

A monumental exhibition blending poetry, light, and love

From June 28, 2025 to January 4, 2026, Avignon will host COSMOS or the Ghosts of Love, an exceptional exhibition by Jean-Michel Othoniel.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Avignon’s title as European Capital of Culture and the 30th anniversary of its historic center’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the city is undergoing a unique artistic transformation.

The artist, known for his glass artworks and poetic installations, will present over 250 works, including 160 new creations, across ten iconic sites: the Palais des Papes, Pont Saint-Bénézet (the famous Bridge of Avignon), Musée Calvet, Collection Lambert, Musée du Petit Palais, and more. The city becomes a stage for an artistic journey interweaving emotion, memory, and light.

A poetic journey through Avignon’s heritage landmarks

The exhibition invites visitors to embark on a poetic exploration through Avignon’s most beautiful heritage sites. Each venue features works that resonate with its history. At the Palais des Papes, following the Cruise fashion show by Nicolas Ghesquière for LVMH, which contrasted contemporary creations with the ancient stones, Othoniel’s monumental installations engage in a dialogue with Gothic architecture. On the Pont Saint-Bénézet, suspended creations evoke the passage of time.

Othoniel draws inspiration from Petrarch’s Canzoniere, a poetic collection written in tribute to Laura, whom he met in Avignon in the 14th century. The exhibition becomes an ode to lost love, to beauty, and to the ephemeral nature of life.

Key artworks and highlights

Among the standout pieces:

• The Astrolabe: a 10-meter-high golden sculpture on the square in front of the Palais des Papes, capturing the light of the sky.

• The Fountain of Ghosts: a sound and water installation in the palace gardens, like a whisper from the past.

• The Knots of Infinity: suspended glass bead structures at the Petit Palais, symbolizing the invisible bonds between beings.

• The Poems of Light: projections of luminous words throughout the museums and streets, turning the city into an open-air book.

A major highlight is scheduled for August: a choreographic performance in the Cour d’Honneur, imagined by Carolyn Carlson, featuring Hugo Marchand and Caroline Osmont, both étoile dancers.

An immersive and universal experience

Already showcased at exceptional venues such as Château La Coste, the contemporary art center owned by Irish collector Patrick McKillen in the Puy-Sainte-Réparade, Othoniel is also renowned for his artistic redesign of the Palais Royal metro entrance in Paris, Place Colette, in front of the Comédie-Française.

With COSMOS, Jean-Michel Othoniel offers much more than an exhibition: it’s a sensory experience, accessible to all, where contemporary art, heritage, and poetry converge. It’s an invitation to slow down, contemplate, and feel. The work under our eyes seem to be jewels reflecting light. A treasure.

A rare and unmissable event, placing Avignon at the heart of a powerful and generous artistic momentum.