Artists
Francis Alÿs
In the series Children’s Games (1999–ongoing), Francis Alÿs presents scenes of children at play around the world. Composed of nearly twenty videos, this inventory of childhood activities offers an intimate yet political view of the universal and unifying nature of games. Captured images show how children turn simple, ordinary things—chairs, coins, sand, stones—into the raw material for unlikely and fantastical universes. Transformed by imagination and a fraternal spirit that is both tacit and spontaneous, these objects lose their usual prosaicness to find new symbolic potential. With each gesture, the children reinvent the world, the tensions that organize it, and the converging forces that travel through it.
Exhibited work(s):
Children’s Games series
Children’s Game 1 / Caracoles (1999)
Children’s Game 2 / Ricochets (2007)
Children’s Game 3 / Coins (2008)
Children’s Game 4 / Elastic (2008)
Children’s Game 5 / Revolver (2009)
Children’s Game 6 / Sandcastles (2009)
Children’s Game 7 / M Hoop and Stick (2010)
Children’s Game 8 / Marbles (2010)
Children’s Game 9 / Saltamontes (2011)
Children’s Game 10 / Papalote (2011)
Children’s Game 11 / Wolf and Lamb (2011)
Children’s Game 12 / Sillas (2012)
Children’s Game 13 / Piñata (2012)
Children’s Game 14 / Piedra, papel y tijeras (2013)
Children’s Game 15 / Espejos (2013)
Children’s Game 16 / Hopscotch (2016)
Children’s Game 17 / Chunggi (2017)
Children’s Game 18 / Knucklebones (2017)
- Born
- 1959, Antwerp, Belgium
- Countries / Nations
- Belgium / Mexico
- Lives
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Website
- francisalys.com
Works

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Games
Exhibition view, Musée d’art contemporain, Montréal, 2019.
Photo credit: Jean-Michael Seminaro
© MOMENTA | Biennale de l’image and Musée d’art contemporain.

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Games
Exhibition view, Musée d’art contemporain, Montréal, 2019.
Photo credit: Jean-Michael Seminaro
© MOMENTA | Biennale de l’image and Musée d’art contemporain.

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 1 / Caracoles
1999
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 4 min 34 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children's Game 2 / Ricochets
2007
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 4 min 45 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 5 / Revolver
2009
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 2 min 49 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 6 / Sandcastles
2009
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 6 min 4 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children's Game 7 / M Hoop and Stick
2010
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 5 min 22 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 8 / Marbles
2010
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 2 min 37 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 9 / Saltamontes
2011
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 6 min 9 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children's Game 10 / Papalote
2011
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 4 min 13 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 11 / Wolf and Lamb
2011
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 3 min 1 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 12 / Sillas
2012
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 5 min 5 s
In collaboration with Elena Pardo and Félix Blume
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 13 / Piñata
2012
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 8 min 17 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children's Game 14 / Piedra, papel y tijeras
2013
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 2 min 51 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 15 / Espejos
2013
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 4 min 53 s
In collaboration with Alejandro Morales, Julien Devaux, and Félix Blume
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 16 / Hopscotch
2016
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 3 min 49 s
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 17 / Chunggi
2017
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 3 min 20 s
In collaboration with the Kathmandu International Art Festival
© Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs
Children’s Game 18 / Knucklebones
2017
Children’s Games series
Video, colour, sound, 6 min 8 s
In collaboration with the Kathmandu International Art Festival
© Francis Alÿs