İzmir: Lucien Arkas Sanat Merkezi

“I have life within me, and color in the world.”
~ Robert Delaunay ~

After spending a bit of time with mom this morning, we decided to head to the only Arkas art facility we’ve not been to yet … the Lucien Arkas Art Center … described as “… the seventh stop on the Arkas Art Route extending across İzmir, … conceived as a space in close dialogue with the city, hosting international exhibitions and collections as well as learning programs, screenings, conferences, cultural events, and gatherings.”

Opened in April 2026, the center is a collaboration with the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Over the next five years, it is intended that Centre Pompidou will present two exhibitions from its collections at the LASM.

The current installation, billed is “Sonia & Robert Delaunay: Inventing Modern Colour.” Known for their innovative approaches to color and light, the Delaunays are among the names that have created a transformative impact on the history of modern art.

What we didn’t realize is that the exhibition is sort of introductory in nature … with only two Delaunay paintings from the Pompidou Centre on exhibit at the moment. Apparently the inaugural season is scheduled for September of this year.

We were a bit disappointed when we first learned this on arrival at the center … especially since one of the two paintings, and several of the posterized-images of/by the Delaunays, bore the “no photos” warning. That said, there were interesting stories to read about the couple. There were also quotes about color and painting that were thought provoking … which is always a good thing.Read more