Carrières des Lumières hosts Matisse and Kahlo until 18 December

Carrières des Lumières in Les Baux-de-Provence is presenting Matisse and Frida Kahlo from 9 October to 18 December 2026. The programme replaces the previous Picasso presentation with an immersive digital display devoted to Henri Matisse and a shorter companion work about Frida Kahlo.

Matisse and Kahlo programme runs through December

The operator lists Matisse + Frida Kahlo as a current exhibition from 9 October 2026. A regional agenda gives the presentation at the venue through 18 December 2026, placing it inside the current visitor period.

The main programme follows Henri Matisse through projected colour, form and music. The companion presentation, Frida Kahlo: In the Heart, provides a shorter programme centred on the Mexican artist. The change is significant for visitors because Matisse has replaced Picasso in the principal presentation, while Kahlo remains part of the combined artistic programme.

The operator describes the format as digital exhibitions projected across the massive surfaces of the former quarry. Images and sound turn the stone interior into the setting for the works rather than presenting them as conventional framed objects. The 2026 programme listing names the two artists and places the exhibition at Les Baux-de-Provence.

How the quarry setting shapes the exhibition

The venue is a former stone quarry near the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, in the Alpilles of southern France. Its large mineral walls provide the surface for the projections, so the architecture is part of the viewing environment rather than a separate museum shell.

The Matisse programme therefore links a twentieth-century painter's use of colour with the physical scale of the quarry. Kahlo's shorter presentation adds a second artistic perspective without changing the central format: both are experienced through moving images, light and sound across the rock surfaces. A regional tourism listing confirms that the programme takes place at the Carrières and runs from 9 October to 18 December 2026.

The site is on Route de Maillane, around 800 metres from the Château des Baux. The operator's access information also identifies the venue as 15 kilometres north-east of Arles and 30 kilometres south of Avignon. These landmarks place the exhibition within the wider Alpilles area, rather than in the centre of the village itself.

Access and location at Les Baux-de-Provence

The official access page states that the venue is accessible to wheelchair users. It also notes that the quarry can feel cool, with temperatures of 14 to 16°C, and that animals are not allowed on the site.

Road access is via the A7, A9 and A54 motorways. The nearest named long-distance rail connections are the TGV stations at Aix-en-Provence and Avignon. Further access details for the venue include the Route de Maillane address and the walk from parking near the village.

The municipal tourism office also lists both Matisse / Frida Kahlo and Ocean as exhibitions at the site. For the period beginning 14 November 2026, the Matisse and Kahlo programme is the presentation travellers can find on the dates assigned to it, while the Ocean programme is scheduled on other days.

Visiting Carrières des Lumières: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Matisse and Frida Kahlo are presented at Carrières des Lumières in Les Baux-de-Provence from 9 October to 18 December 2026.
• The programme changes the principal presentation from Picasso to Henri Matisse, with Frida Kahlo shown as the shorter companion work.
• The venue is on Route de Maillane, about 800 metres from the Château des Baux and near the village of Les Baux-de-Provence.
• The quarry is wheelchair accessible, but the interior can be cool at 14 to 16°C; animals are not permitted.
• Road routes include the A7, A9 and A54, while Aix-en-Provence and Avignon provide the named TGV connections.

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Frequently asked questions about Carrières des Lumières

When does Matisse and Frida Kahlo take place at Carrières des Lumières?

The programme runs from 9 October to 18 December 2026 at the venue in Les Baux-de-Provence.

What is Carrières des Lumières?

It is a former quarry used for immersive digital exhibitions, with images and sound projected across its rock surfaces.

Where is Carrières des Lumières and how do you get there?

The venue is on Route de Maillane near Les Baux-de-Provence. It can be reached by road via the A7, A9 and A54, or by TGV through Aix-en-Provence and Avignon.