Francis AlĂżs and the presence in major collections
Published on 06/24/2026 at 22:39 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Francis Alÿs is one of the most quietly influential conceptual artists of his generation. Museums from London to New York have anchored their contemporary collections with works like the video action When Faith Moves Mountains and the long-running series Children’s Games, underscoring his institutional relevance.
Francis AlĂżs in museum holdings
AlĂżs is represented in the collection of Tate, which lists works such as the 2004 video When Faith Moves Mountains and the installation Railings, highlighting his shift from painting to time-based and social practices. Tate emphasizes his use of simple actions that gain political weight over time.
MoMA in New York holds works including the 1996 piece Patriotism and the 2004 video Re-enactments I & II, situating AlĂżs within a lineage of politically alert, urban-focused conceptualism. The museum notes how he stages small, poetic gestures in public space as a way to test collective perception.
Collections, narratives and geography
The Guggenheim Museum in New York also collects Alÿs, with works like the video Rehearsal I, where a red VW Beetle repeatedly fails to climb a hill, turning a simple loop into a metaphor for Latin American economies and stalled progress, as the museum’s collection text explains.
In Europe, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam owns works such as Politics of Rehearsal, situating AlĂżs within debates on migration, borders and the reuse of documentary material. These holdings show how his work circulates between Latin America and Europe while remaining focused on everyday urban experience.
All news and background on Francis AlĂżs
For further reporting on Francis AlĂżs, from institutional projects to broader collection contexts, see the continuously updated artist coverage in the AD HOC NEWS archive.
The core of Alÿs’s practice
AlĂżs, born in Antwerp in 1959 and based in Mexico City since the late 1980s, is known for performative walks, modest interventions and videos that probe how power, rumor and belief circulate in public space. He often collaborates with local participants and non-actors.
Projects such as When Faith Moves Mountains in Lima and the ongoing Children’s Games series, filmed in locations from Afghanistan to Hong Kong, exemplify how he uses simple actions to reflect on geopolitics, borders and the resilience of informal communities. His work consistently avoids overt didacticism.
Where Francis AlĂżs stands now
Francis Alÿs continues to develop new video and performance-based projects with a focus on children’s play, migration routes and fragile urban ecologies, maintaining an active studio practice out of Mexico City.
Francis AlĂżs at a glance
- Artist: Francis AlĂżs
- Medium / Genre: Conceptual and video-based practice with performance and installation
- Born: 1959, Antwerp, Belgium
- Place(s) of practice: Studio in Mexico City
- Active since: Late 1980s, with early projects in Mexico City streets
- Key work groups: When Faith Moves Mountains, Children’s Games, Re-enactments, Politics of Rehearsal
- Current/last exhibition: Children’s Games, ongoing presentations in various museum contexts worldwide
- Major collections: Tate (London), MoMA (New York), Guggenheim Museum (New York), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam)
- Awards: Represented Belgium at the 2017 Venice Biennale (national pavilion), among other recognitions
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Francis AlĂżs
Which museums hold important works by Francis AlĂżs?
Key institutions include Tate in London, MoMA and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, each holding central video and installation works that map his development since the 1990s.
What are the most cited work groups by Francis AlĂżs?
Frequently discussed series include the large-scale action When Faith Moves Mountains, the multi-part video cycle Children’s Games, as well as works like Re-enactments and Politics of Rehearsal, which address repetition, rehearsal and political symbolism.
Where does Francis AlĂżs primarily live and work?
Alÿs was born in Antwerp in 1959 but has lived and worked mainly in Mexico City since the late 1980s, building much of his practice around the city’s streets, informal economies and shifting political atmosphere.
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