In the mid-'80s, the acquisition of work by artists who did not define themselves as photographers, but applied photography in their approach to sculpture or painting, helped anchor the photography department firmly within the museum's collections. It highlighted their strengths: the meeting of disciplines and the importance of architecture and sculpture. The Méjan association - which was behind Georges Rousse's visit to Arles in 1986, when he worked in the disused premises of the old Van Gogh hospital, and Pascal Kern's exhibition, "Icônes-sculptures" - undoubtedly helped affirm the museum's general acquisitions policy. Public commissions were awarded to Alain Fleischer or Jochen Gerz for the centenary celebration of Van Gogh's stay in Arles, while Ton Zwerver and Jan Svenungsson were invited as guests; all these initiatives resulted in unique major works. In parallel to this, Toni Grand produced a collection of sculptures from 1981, most of which "ripened" under the romanesque vaults of the Cloître Saint-Trophime.
