Arles, the picturesque town in the South of France is steeped in history and some of the best hotels in Arles are a reflection when Vincent Van Gogh arrived in the dusty Roman city of Arles in 1888 he was so dazzled by the violent intensity of the Provençal sky that he went on to produce his major works in under 15 months “I’m as happy as a cicada,” the artist wrote Everything from the violet hills and wheat fields to his little house painted “the yellow colour of fresh butter outside with raw green shutters” seemed to vibrate with pure colour Van Gogh’s absinthe-fueled feverish dream of creating an experimental art community in Arles with his friend Gauguin has indeed crystallised the city excels at living with the past as a path to the future Think edgy modern hotels built on Roman sites terrific regional fare and the ever-growing number of remarkable museums and the soon-to-be-opened Fragonard fashion and costume museum Along with Arles’ small-town charm comes its popularity from the raucous sangria-soaked feria to the prestigious Rencontres d’Arles akin to the Cannes Festival for photography has played an active role in Arles’ resolute modernity a 20-acre experimental campus and contemporary art complex plus a futuristic steel-panelled Frank Gehry-designed tower filled with galleries Add to that the summer opening of the much-revered landmark hotel once frequented by toreadors and Hemingway (now part of Hoffmann’s Maisons d’Arles hotel group) that has been freshly renovated and reimagined by Nigerian British artist and designer For more inspiration on where to stay in the South of France, visit the best hotels in the South of France, the best Airbnbs in the South of France and the best villas in the South of France On the plane tree-shaded Place Voltaire in the northern section of the city this white three-story building trimmed with sunny yellow balconies was recently transformed into an eco-friendly affordable 13-room hotel with a splash of style clean-lined structure (once considered by locals as a hasty postwar construction) has now ascended to the status of an understated modernist gem Don’t be put off by the impersonal phone code that allows you to access your room (there’s no reception or keys); someone on the staff is always nearby What the rooms lack in space (and no TV) is made up for by comfortable king-size beds and eye-catching vintage finds – a Marcel Breuer leather chair an avid collector of ’50s and ’70s design furnishings including a curated collection of books and a mini-bar stocked with a bottle of natural wine The ground-level bar/café/library serves a generous breakfast buffet which morphs into a lively restaurant featuring a menu of creative fancy finger food prepared by the resident chef you can sip organic fresh fruit cocktails and admire the stunning panoramic city view from the Saint Julien church to the glinting silver Gehry Tower ArlesPrice: Doubles from about 80 euros per night A majestic columned landmark and a former 17th-century Carmelite convent the 52-room Hôtel Jules César is set back from the busy Boulevard des Lices the décor is signed by Arles-born fashion designer who dreamed up vaulted arch rooms and suites awash with bold Provencal-inspired patterns and no less than 53 shades of bold hues from acid green to toreador cape scarlet Everything from the trompe-l'oeil stone carpets to the stylishly reupholstered original furnishings is an ode to the designer's playful reinvention of history High points: the romantic Cloister suites (where several French films were shot) and the relaxing Balinese treatments at the Cinq Mondes Jules César Spa You can beat the heat at the garden pool and dine alfresco or in the hotel’s stylish bay-window restaurant whose menu features a wide choice of refined local dishes from the nearby Camargue with the finest organic locally-sourced ingredients the hotel attracts an international set who come for its smooth service and more traditional offerings 13200 ArlesPrice: Doubles from about £120 per night independently owned 18-room hotel with a laid-back vibe ideal for couples or families with young children decided to resurrect the former popular but rundown institution and turn it into an inviting Provencal-style hideaway and restaurant Expect a homey vibe rather than sleek and polished; if the owners chose to preserve the original granito floors and slightly chipped mosaics in the hallway The most sought-after rooms are the suites vintage light fixtures and white-tiled bathrooms (with pretty kimono bathrobes laid out for guests) at the Maison Volver’s sprawling tapas-style restaurant with an outdoor terrace and épicerie; by noon where everything from the free-range eggs to the produce is organic and locally sourced Small plates include dishes like tomato tarts grilled beef à la plancha and an assortment of goat cheeses from the neighbouring Alpilles 8 rue de la Cavalerie,Price: Doubles from about 94 euros per night Hidden behind ancient walls on the curved road that wraps around the Roman Arena this mysterious neo-Florentine-style palace deserves the ‘secret gem’ category for anyone who loves art antiques and a history-embedded bed and breakfast The aristocratic coat of arms still adorns the gate – it was the home of turn-of-the-century French sculptor several small neighbouring houses and transformed the property into his atelier family home and a meeting place for artists of his time it was considered the Villa Médicis of Arles,” says Loup-Sanche de Luppé rescued the abandoned building from disrepair (formerly the site of the Van Gogh Foundation for twenty-odd years) and opened parts of the three-story mansion to the public for seasonal exhibitions after admiring Gaston du Luppé’s carefully preserved artwork and the striking architecture you can retire to your room in the family quarters four-meter-high ceilings and exquisite ornate details Generous homemade breakfasts are served in the peaceful garden courtyard or the atmospheric dining room only steps away from the summer hordes of guidebook-totting tourists FrancePrice: Doubles from 160 euros per night Walking past Arles’ most flamboyant hotel – an ancient Roman basilica and former lavish 15th-century palace and UNESCO classified landmark that once belonged to the Counts of Beaumont – you’d never guess that behind the refurbished facade lies a 5 bar and leafy inner courtyard with a mosaic-tile pool Cuban-American artist Jorge Pardo was given carte blanche by owner Maja Hoffmann to turn the hotel into a bijou of eye-popping colours crafting over two million handmade ceramic tiles and over 1,300 pieces of furniture at his studio in Mérida are all decked out with hand-painted doors pink and yellow tiled floors (in 11 shapes) and suites with wood-beamed ceilings and private terraces guests can take advantage of the contemporary art-filled lounge a fitness centre or cool off at the splash pool No need to venture any further for meals: the restaurant features reliably good seasonal local dishes and a variety of fish or vegetarian options plus a delicious blood orange soufflé for dessert FrancePrice: Doubles from about 135 euros per night Address: Le Cloître, 6-22 Rue du Cloître, 13200 ArlesPrice: Doubles from about 125 euros per night Address:  7-9 rue du Palais, 13200 ArlesTelephone: +33 6 74 82 65 27Website:  fragonard.com/fr-int/maison-fragonard-arles Address: L’Hôtel Particulier, 4 rue de la Monnaie, 13200 ArlesPrice: Doubles from 399 euros per night Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application to the late William Lissie and Lina Mae Cagle Jones taking pride in his peach and apple orchard he and his wife sold his apples at a local market which later evolved into Jones Service Center and Jones Produce within the Cana community their business became a center for the retail and wholesale market he established Jones Enterprises which continues today he served on the board of directors for the Bank of Carroll and was instrumental in bringing the bank to Cana He was a founding member of the Cana Merchants’ Association and Cana Investment Club He was musically gifted with several instruments and enjoyed playing guitar with his brothers and nephews He was a devoted and faithful member of Paul’s Creek Baptist Church He was saved and lived his life with deep commitment to his faith Jones is survived by his loving wife of 66 years Ida King Jones of the home; a daughter and son-in-law Tammy and Terry Edwards; his grandchildren Cody Edwards and Courtney and Ben Jackson; his sisters and a brother-in-law Faye Hardigree and Helen and Eddie Vaughn; his brother Donald Jones; and several other friends and family The funeral service will be Friday November 1 at 2:00 PM at Paul’s Creek Baptist Church The family will receive friends Friday at the church from 12:30 until 2:00 PM Moody Funeral Services in Mount Airy is serving the family Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors ListenKering and the Rencontres d’Arles In 2016 one year after launching the Women In Motion program at the Festival de Cannes Kering expanded its commitment to women artists by supporting the Madame Figaro Award for Photography at Rencontres d’Arles for the first time Group became a partner of Rencontres d’Arles and Women In Motion joined the festival’s program they introduced the Women In Motion Award for Photography to raise the profile of women photographers.  Founded over 50 years ago, the Rencontres d’Arles festival has become a flagship cultural event that promotes the institutional recognition of photography and dissemination of its rich legacy. In 2023 this summer entry on the international event calendar hosted 145,000 visitors in search of established talent and emerging artists. Organized around the theme Sous la surface ("Beneath the Surface") and running from July 1 to September 29 the 55th edition is sprinkled with notions of upheaval parallel readings and re-readings that permeate the work of the more than 130 photographers among the forty-something exhibits installed in a variety of extraordinary venues across the Provencal city Japan is given pride of place with four solo and group exhibits in addition to handing out the Women In Motion Award for Photography the Kering program will shine a light on Japanese women photographers It is dedicating the third edition of its Lab to them and supporting their first group exhibition in France Quelle Joie de Vous Revoir ("I’m So Happy You Are Here") as well as the first book published on their craft since the 1950s Women In Motion is also backing the “Transcendance” exhibit which features the points of view of six Japanese women photographers as a parallel to the Kyotographie festival.  Kering and Rencontres d’Arles presented the Women In Motion Award to Japanese photographer Ishiuchi Miyako The event is an opportunity to present her body of work and share with the public her journey and her take on the role of women in photography and society.The issue of women’s representation is addressed subtly but powerfully in the work of Ishiuchi Miyako who critiques the objectification of women by taking the female body as the topic of her art as opposed to the beauty canons set forth by the media Ishiuchi Miyako embodies the principles of women’s emancipation by advocating for their autonomy and for better representation she never stops provoking a dialogue on gender culture and memory in contemporary society.   In her depictions of intimate scenes Ishiuchi Miyako invites viewers to question their own perception of femininity Through projects such as "ひろしま/hiroshima" and "Mother’s" the photographer tackles Japan's wartime past and its impact on individuals who are generally ignored in the annals of history is being held at Salle Henri-Comte for the duration of the festival.  the Group backed the "Views Through My Window" exhibition a dialogue between her work and the work of Yuhki Touyama.  Kering and Rencontres d'Arles sponsored research into Bettina Grossman's archives by artist Yto Barrada and presented in an exhibition at the festival in 2022.  this exhibition of contemporary photographers offers a glimpse into the modern complexities of Japanese society From intimate portraits to evocative landscapes and poetic experiments these six photographers bring their personal and collective experiences to life creativity and diversity of women who use photography to survive and express themselves Inspired by "10/10 Celebrating Contemporary Japanese Women Photographers" an exhibition backed by Kering and presented at Kyotographie in 2022 to celebrate the festival's tenth anniversary with curators Nakanishi Yusuke and Lucille Reyboz of this chorus of women photographers who dare to transcend their reality From its inception in 1970 by the Arlesian photographer Lucien Clergue the writer Michel Tournier and the historian Jean‑Maurice Rouquette the Rencontres d'Arles quickly became a mainstay in the world of photography photography which was previously regarded as a "minor" art would gain significant critical acclaim through the festival its global-reaching line-up embraces artistic engagement and eclecticism to reflect the state of the world The 54th edition centers on the idea of "a state of consciousness" as a nod to the transformations we are experiencing artists and curators to capture these profound changes from July 3 to September 24 Women In Motion and the Rencontres d'Arles announced their partnership in 2016 the program supported the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Kering strengthened its partnership with the Rencontres d'Arles extending the Women In Motion program to the festival’s calendar they created the Women In Motion Award for photography which aims to shine a light on women photographers 2019 also saw the creation of Women In Motion Lab an initiative providing tangible support for any project showcasing women in photography The Women In Motion Award for photography was previously awarded to Susan Meiselas in 2019 Liz Johnson Artur in 2021 and Babette Mangolte in 2022.  As the program celebrates five years of collaborating with the Rencontres d’Arles Kering is pleased to renew its commitment to the festival for another five years as one of the Main Partners.  "On the ruins of photography" is the first major monograph organized in France on the Brazilian's work.  Interested in "the way the system tries to erase or manipulate links with the past," the photographer appropriates and transforms archival photographic material into an art installation or a book of photography Her work is a detailed exploration of time and the social and psychological changes that affect memory during the first evening event at the Théâtre Antique in Arles Kering and the Rencontres d’Arles presented the fifth Women In Motion Award for photography to the Brazilian photographer Rosângela Rennó.  Rosângela Rennó was born in 1962 in Belo Horizonte She currently lives and works in Rio de Janeiro objects and installations is characterized by the investigation of different politics of the photographic representation and absorption and of the relations between memory and forgetfulness by appropriating images from diverse sources from fleamarkets and internet photos to institutional archives abandoned photographic archives and even 'dead files' have led her to engage herself on clarifying and fighting the recurring narratives of erasure and ‘structural ignorance,’ used as a strategy of historical amnesia and exclusion of a large part of the population especially in Brazil and South Global countries She also dedicates herself to the creation of videos and artist’s books The Brazilian photographer is the most recent figure to record an episode of the Women In Motion podcast the podcast offers a platform for women working in culture and the arts on the status of women in society in industries that remain affected by disparities Discover the Women In Motion podcast Women In Motion proudly supports "La Pointe Courte from photographs to film," an exhibition curated by Carole Sandrin assisted by Elisa Magnani of the Institut pour la photographie Created with the approval of Rosalie Varda and the Ciné-Tamaris team the exhibition presents photographs taken by Agnès Varda in the summer of 1954 before and during the shooting of her film entitled "La Pointe Courte." To further contribute to the recognition of women’s talent Women In Motion has supported the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles since its creation in 2016 the Award recognizes a woman photographer for her creative excellence and daring The 2023 Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles was awarded to the young iranian photographer a special jury mention was awarded to Riti Sengupta over the course of more than forty exhibitions at various of the city’s exceptional heritage site the Rencontres d’Arles has been a major influence in disseminating the best of world photography In an effort to fight inequality between women and men in the world of cinema a program highlighting the work of women in all areas of filmmaking Women In Motion now spans several artistic and cultural disciplines including photography since 2016 through the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro-Arles It was previously awarded to Susan Meiselas in 2019 Sabine Weiss in 2020 and Liz Johnson Artur in 2021 2019 also saw the creation of Women In Motion Lab Follow the latest news from the Women In Motion program live from Rencontres d’Arles 2022 and focused on the theme “Visible or invisible Kering and Rencontres d’Arles present the fourth Women In Motion Award for photography to Babette Mangolte Born in France in 1941 and based in New York since the 1970s and author of critical essays on photography.  this solo exhibition showcases the photographic and cinematic language developed by Babette Mangolte That language is based on the camera’s subjectivity the viewer’s central role and the human body’s relationship to space Mangolte’s work documents the choreography and performances of Yvonne Rainer and the 1970s theater scene in New York City To mark the occasion, a special supplement in the Women In Motion collection published by Fisheye magazine will be dedicated to Babette Mangolte and feature commentaries by leading experts on the cultural scene Susan Brody,...+Robert Wilson & Philip Glass “Einstein on the Beach” opera with libretto and scenic design by Robert Wilson with Music by P...+Cover of the special edition of the Women In Motion collection published by Fisheye Rehearsal at the Lucinda Childs’s Studio / Copyright © 2022 Babette Mangolte David...+‘Cartographies Du Corps’ – an exhibition by Susan Meiselas and Marta GentilucciÉglise Saint-BlaiseAt Rencontres d’Arles 2022 Women In Motion is supporting an exhibition by Susan Meiselas – the first winner of the Women In Motion Award for photography – in collaboration with the composer Marta Gentilucci the two artists have sought to capture elderly//mature women in images and sound focusing in particular on their skin and gestures that reflect their engagement with life their work captures the vital force that inhabits their bodies the intensity of a life well-lived and the enduring hope for the time that remains a counterpoint to representations of old age as an absence of opportunity ‘Cartographies Du Corps’ – an exhibition by Susan Meiselas and Marta Gentilucci - ©Carolina Arantes / FishEye For the second edition of the Women In Motion LAB Kering and Rencontres d’Arles wished to support the efforts of artist Yto Barrada to promote Bettina Grossman's archives Barrada presents an exceptional body of photographic This marks the first retrospective dedicated to the late American artist The first edition of the Women In Motion LAB highlighted the contribution of women to the world history of photography Led by historians Luce Lebart and Marie Robert with the help of 160 women authors from every continent the project spotlights the careers and works of approximately 300 women who have left their mark on photography since the art form began The project led to a book Une histoire mondiale des femmes photographes was published in July by Thames & Hudson.  The 2022 Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles was awarded to the young egyptian photographer Amina Kadous The Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles is presented to Amina Kadous in the presence of the members of the Jury chaired by Vi...+©Amina Kadous in collaboration with Rencontres d'Arles and with support from Women In Motion ‘Anima’ is a performance/installation created by Noémie Goudal and Maëlle Poésy ‘Anima’ nods to Noémie Goudal’s exhibition “Phoenix,” presented at the Chapelle des Trinitaires during the Rencontres d'Arles 2022 To express the invisible metamorphoses of the landscapes and places we share ‘Anima’ depicts a woman artist suspended within a video and music installation The program is a showcase for the work of women in film Convinced that creativity and culture are powerful drivers for change the Group extended the program to photography in 2016 by sponsoring the Madame Figaro Arles Photography Award Kering partnered up with the Rencontres d’Arles extending the Women In Motion program to the festival they created the Women In Motion LAB  and the Women In Motion Award for Photography The first Women In Motion Award for Photography went to American photographer This third Award for Photography is presented to Russian-Ghanaian artist Liz Johnson Artur is a Russian-Ghanaian photographer Liz Johnson Artur has compiled a body of work dedicated to the African diaspora worldwide brought together in her Black Balloon Archive paint a complex picture of Black identities Her work rejects all the usual clichés and reflects the ability of the ‘subjects’ she photographs to decide for themselves how they should look.   the people I don’t see represented anywhere else Liz Johnson Artur recorded an episode for the Women In Motion podcast to encourage reflection on the representation of minorities and black people Johnson Artur takes an ethical approach where the photographed subject is “in good company.” Happy listening Discover the other episodes of the Women In Motion podcast    Five shortlisted artists will receive INR 70,000 each for a work-in-progress with one finalist receiving an additional €7,500 project development grant and a solo show at Les Rencontres d’Arles the Serendipity Arts Foundation and Les Rencontres d’Arles announced the biggest lens-based media grant supported by the Institut français en Inde with the shared purpose of promoting cultural practices in the South Asian region The winners of the previous two editions of the grant Sathish Kumar (2022) and Paribartana Mohanty (2024) were awarded the grant to develop and showcase their respective projects Town Boy (2022) and A Fate’s Brief Memoir (2024) at Les Rencontres d’Arles They are now open to receive applications for the third edition of the Serendipity Arles Grant 2025-26 inviting project proposals from South Asia new media and other lens based explorations The initiative seeks not only to empower artists from the region but also further a spirit of regional cooperation and representation Submissions are open to all lens-based South Asian practitioners from Afghanistan who have been practicing for 5 to 10 years Applicants must submit supporting documents to outline the progress The proposed project should not have been shown in any form; in whole or in part In case the applicant is currently at a residency or would be part of a residency between September to December 2025 The Serendipity Arles Grant will be awarded in two phases. In the first phase 5 practitioners will be shortlisted by an eminent jury based on their applications They will receive a production grant of INR 70,000 each to produce and showcase the series of work proposed by them in their applications Each shortlisted artist shall send in their works with a complete installation plan/brief for SAF 2025  A selection of these works will be showcased as a work-in-progress exhibit in December in Goa at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025 The jury present at the Festival will choose one out of the 5 bodies of works of the shortlisted artists as the finalist for the second phase of the grant one winning grantee will get the opportunity to further develop their project and put up a solo presentation of their project at Les Rencontres d’Arles in July 2026 Deliverables to the winner include €7,500 for project development grant and artist fee air tickets to Arles and back–up to €1,200 (to be booked within stipulated timelines) €7,000 for production support (to be disbursed by Rencontres d’Arles on behalf of the artist) and €500 for accommodation costs (to be disbursed by Arles directly to the hotel) any expenses to produce the work over and above of the production grant will be borne by the artist including tax deductions Serendipity Arts Foundation is an organization that facilitates pluralistic cultural expressions sparking conversations around the arts across the South Asian region the aim of the Foundation is to support practice and research in the arts as well as to promote sustainability and education in the field through a range of cultural and collaborative initiatives The Foundation hosts projects through the year which include institutional partnerships with artists and art organizations grants and outreach programmes across India over the course of more than forty exhibitions at various of the city's heritage sites the Rencontres d'Arles has been a major influence in disseminating the best of world photography and playing the role of a springboard for photographic and contemporary creative talents Van Gogh’s The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles (April-May 1889) Adventures with Van Gogh is a weekly blog by Martin Bailey The Art Newspaper's long-standing correspondent and expert on the Dutch painter stories range from newsy items about this most intriguing artist to scholarly pieces based on meticulous investigations and discoveries Explore all of Martin’s adventures with Van Gogh here In the months after Van Gogh mutilated his ear he created just two paintings of the hospital in Arles in which he stayed both were bought in the 1920s by the Swiss collector Oskar Reinhart On Reinhart’s death they became part of his museum which has until recently been prohibited from lending is temporarily closed for building work and is due to reopen in January 2026 the paintings were available for the Courtauld show The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles and The Ward in the Hospital at Arles Both were begun in the second half of April 1889 at a time when the artist was sleeping in the hospital This was four months after Van Gogh had mutilated his ear which had precipitated the abrupt departure of his colleague and lodger Paul Gauguin The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles (April-May 1889) depicts part of the arcaded cloister-like courtyard with its colourful enclosed garden The male patients were housed on the upper level and Van Gogh must have loved to escape from the noisy and crowded ward to enjoy the springtime flowers I always imagine that the man with a hat seated by the edge of the covered terrace (and apart from the other patients) is Van Gogh himself he went to the other side of the courtyard so he could include the male terrace and ward The female patients were in the wing to the left in the picture Detail of Van Gogh’s The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles (April-May 1889) Vincent gave a detailed description of the painting in a letter to his sister Wil: “It’s an arcaded gallery like in Arab buildings In front of these galleries an ancient garden with a pond in the middle and 8 beds of flowers So it’s a painting chock-full of flowers and springtime greenery reconstructed to look like Van Gogh’s paintingDerek Harris / Alamy Stock Photo The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles is such a carefully composed and exuberant painting that it is difficult to believe it was made by someone who was suffering as he was was inspired by the Japanese prints which Van Gogh so admired The tree trunks break up the geometry of the flower beds and the two wings of the building The goldfish in the central pool add a delightful touch Van Gogh also made a drawing of a similar scene At first glance it may appear to be the same view as the painting but the drawing shows the courtyard from a different angle The artist left on 8 May to voluntarily move to what was then regarded as an asylum just outside Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Van Gogh’s drawing Garden of the Hospital (May 1889) in 1922 The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles was offered to what was then known as the National Gallery Millbank (now Tate) for 2,500 guineas (£2,625) This potential acquisition was considered by the gallery’s trustees in November In January 1923 the trustees were informed that the Van Gogh had been “sold at a higher price” The private collector who outmanoeuvred the London gallery was Reinhart who acquired it via the Paris-based art trade agent Alfred Gold in December 1922 The Reinhart archive suggests that he paid 150,000 francs (£6,000) more than twice what had been considered by the National Gallery It was to be more than a century later that The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles was lent abroad It went to the exhibition Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers When the London curators negotiated the loan they had no idea that they had almost bought the picture in 1922 then a year later the National Gallery trustees might well have had second thoughts about acquiring the Sunflowers This turned out to be a bargain: Sunflowers was bought in March 1924 for £1,304 half the price which had been mooted for the courtyard garden picture By this time Samuel Courtauld had provided a substantial fund to buy Impressionist and Post-Impressionist work for the gallery The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles was already in London for the National Gallery’s temporary show Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers It will now be going into the Courtauld exhibition on 14 February There it will be joined by Reinhart’s other Van Gogh Van Gogh’s The Ward in the Hospital at Arles (April-October 1889) Vincent also described this picture in the same letter to his sister: “A very long ward with the rows of beds with white curtains where a few figures of patients are moving. The walls, the ceiling with the large beams, everything is white in a lilac white or green white. Here and there a window with a pink or bright green curtain. The floor tiled with red bricks. At the far end a door surmounted by a crucifix.” Although the composition was largely finished while Van Gogh was at the hospital, six months later he added the stove in the foreground and what he described as "a few grey or black shapes of patients” huddled around it. Vincent admitted to his sister that “it’s annoying to paint figures without models”—and these additions from his memory are not entirely successful. Dr Félix Rey, who had treated Van Gogh after the ear incident, claimed 40 years later that the group of patients in the picture included “a self-portrait of the painter”. If so, he is presumably the man with a straw hat who is reading a newspaper. Detail of Van Gogh’s The Ward in the Hospital at Arles (April-October 1889) Oskar Reinhart Collection “Am Römerholz”, Winterthur The Ward in the Hospital at Arles was bought in 1925 for 250,000 francs (then £10,000), after having been owned by Elizabeth Workman, the British wife of a wealthy shipbroker. The sale shows how quickly prices for Van Goghs were rising in the 1920s. At the time it seems that Reinhart did not realise that he had fortuitously acquired the only two Van Gogh paintings depicting the Arles hospital. The Arles hospital had been converted from a 1573 orphanage and it continued in operation in its ancient building until 1986, when a modern facility was established on the southern outskirts of the city. Most of the original hospital was then converted into a cultural centre, with a large library established in the shell of the wing where the men’s ward had been located. The space once occupied by the chapel was taken over and converted for the municipal archives. It is there that the few 1888-89 municipal documents concerning Van Gogh’s stay are now housed, including a petition signed by dozens of his neighbours arguing that he was dangerous and should be dispatched to an asylum.  Some years ago, I requested to see the original petition in the archive. It was an eerie experience to read the document just metres away from where Van Gogh’s bed would have stood. at London’s Lisson Gallery (7 February–15 March) includes a work inspired by Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with Crows (July 1890) Constructed with toy bricks and over three metres wide the Chinese artist has replaced the crows with surveillance drones CORRECTION 27 January: A previous headline for this article stated that Van Gogh’s two pictures of the hospital in Arles had not previously been shown in London The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles was also part of the National Gallery show Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers Martin Bailey is a leading Van Gogh specialist and special correspondent for The Art Newspaper He has curated exhibitions at the Barbican Art Gallery Compton Verney/National Gallery of Scotland and Tate Britain To contact Martin Bailey, please email vangogh@theartnewspaper.com Please note that he does not undertake authentications Explore all of Martin’s adventures with Van Gogh here blog14 February 2025Van Gogh’s hospital painting comes to London, returning for the first time in a hundred yearsThe picture shows the ward where the artist slept after mutilating his ear—I witnessed the room’s tragic demolition blog12 April 2024‘That truly is nature’: the inspiring story behind four spring scenes Van Gogh painted just weeks after mutilating his earThe optimistic April paintings were produced at an extremely challenging time for the artist The scenes of some of the paintings currently on show in London’s National Gallery can still be found in the southern French city The market at Arles in France every Saturday stretches for more than 2km the lush countryside around yielding enough produce to fill more than 400 stalls to overflowing drifts of cheese and butter paint the whole scene a deep cream echoing the Provençal city’s warm limestone and light yellow plaster which radiates from many of his best-known and best-loved paintings The Yellow House was his home outside the city’s ramparts when he moved from Paris to Arles in 1888 hoping (and failing) to start an artists’ colony A new park nearby that he dubbed Poet’s Garden inspired pictures that burst with colourful and abundant growth not to sketch the vast and picturesque ruins where the artist was treated in the asylum in 1889 the site of the Yellow House and of the gardens and the asylum are among the places that admirers of Van Gogh’s work can visit Café Van Gogh in Arles: the building appears in Van Gogh’s painting Photograph: AlamyThrough the streets of both towns stand picture-board reminders of his scenes with comments taken from his numerous descriptive letters to his brother Theo in Paris Just as Vincent dropped muddy Dutch hues for light-drenched pastels when he moved to Montmartre with his move to Arles he affirmed his new stronger palette He would have spent little or no time in the market being a terrible cook who mixed soup as he mixed paints as his erstwhile friend and fellow painter Paul Gauguin noted Still a feature of the pretty Place du Forum is the famous Le Café de la Nuit Currently closed because of a legal wrangle A table outdoors at the Bistrot Arlésien offers a view of the Café de la Nuit’s cheerful facade now as deeply yellow as Van Gogh painted it visitors to Arles can check into the blue-shuttered Hotel Calandal with its sunny terrace overlooking the imposing Roman amphitheatre and smaller outdoor theatre that helped make the city a World Heritage Site preferring to crown the Café de la Nuit with a constellation of scintillating stars The Saint-Paul Asylum where Van Gogh spent time after his mental health declined Photograph: James Hodgson/AlamyBut the artist’s most famous night sky twinkles above two lovers clinging together on a sandbank at a bend in the river that runs through Arles the reflected street lamps echo the Great Bear above which draws the biggest crowds at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris is now attracting huge numbers at the National Gallery Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers is at London’s National Gallery until 19 January. For more about Arles, go to arlestourisme.com. Rooms at the Hotel Calendal from £108 a night Treasures include the exuberant Joie de Vivre Photograph: Ian Shaw/AlamyWhen Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) arrived in Pont-Aven religion and the presence of other artists in the sort of commune that van Gogh would have liked to have formed walk in the woods where Gauguin radically rethought colour This article was amended on 6 October 2024 An earlier version used a picture of Fort Carré This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media (This story was updated to correct a typo.)  Marguerite Eriksson was walking along the main street in her beloved French town of Arles She was in that city in the south of France to celebrate an anniversary 30 years since the twinning of Arles and her home city of York she had forged that relationship as part of a Cold War program to promote understanding between America and its former European allies and enemies it was an anniversary moment for the allied cities of York and Arles to savor this productive tale of two cities turned into urban tragedy when two men aboard a motorbike pulled up to the longtime French teacher in York city schools and grabbed her purse they dragged her several feet before she struck an object and that news sent waves of grief throughout the twinned cities separated by the Atlantic The educator’s death created a tragic irony instrumental in the creation and continuation of a program to sand the type of friction between continents that could lead to violence More: York County creatives provide a vital arts element to community life Laying flowers in her nameHer death did not mean the end of the relationship between the twinned cities and York and Arles celebrated their 70th anniversary this year York Mayor Michael Helfrich visited Arles this fall as part of a twinning conference recommitting to the relationship on the seven-decade anniversary of the Twinning movement “It was such a blessing to have the opportunity to honor York city teacher and York Twinning founder Marguerite Eriksson in Arles,” Helfrich said in an interview noting her commitment to peace and shared educational opportunities An Arles street has been named in her honor and Helfrich joined Twinning and other dignitaries in his recent visit to Arles in bringing flowers to leave at a sign bearing her name More: 10 overlooked features in often overlooked York neighborhoods Exchange programs with Arles continue to this day five York Twinning students and a chaperone visited Arles Then their French host students visited York Eleven York Twinning students and a chaperone also completed a summer exchange to Leinfelden-Echterdingen in Germany 18 adults and three children from Germany visited York followed by an exchange of 16 students and two chaperones to Germany And Helfrich’s trip represented another connection in this anniversary year a historian with a deep understanding of York’s past noted that mayors of Arles and Leinfelden-Echterdingen have frequently visited York and no York mayor has undertaken a return visit for more than 50 years So he traveled to Arles to renew the Twinning relationship – a trip that cost about $1,200 in public funds The York Twinning relationship between York and Arles was the first twinning or sister city relationship in the United States President Eisenhower would use York’s story to help create Sister Cities International two years after York and Arles formalized their bond This was Eisenhower’s effort to foster peace after being the lead allied general over a period of the devastating global destruction of World War II The twinning resolution was signed in 1954 just 10 years after the British and Americans devastated Arles with bombing runs that killed innocent Arlesians and destroyed 28% of homes and many landmarks including the famous Yellow House that the famed artist Van Gogh had lived in York Twinning exchanges immediately created an ongoing reminder that people are not who their government might be from time to time and maintaining a long-term multi-generational relationship with people makes good times better but helps us treat each other like human beings when disagreements may occur between our governments Portugal and Morocco to my travels because of Lafayette’s family motto and when I was a child I visited Europe four times but had never returned as an adult So I had planned ahead to spend an extra 10 days abroad invited me at the Arles conference to visit I immediately changed my plans and headed for Jerez After being treated like royalty by York’s new friends in Jerez I took a ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to spend a day in Tangier where I learned York had another somewhat distant connection the sultan of Morocco was the first world leader to publicly recognize the United States as an independent country I went to the museum where this is documented and visited with staff and toured the amazing grounds and collections of the Legation National Historic Landmark outside of the borders of the U.S What were the highlights of your Arles visit we were whisked away to a Roman dinner with delegations representing Kalymnos We arrived to traditional Roman greetings and salutes from legionnaire reenactors Some members of the delegations learned and sang songs in the respective languages of those present (the best that we could) and had a great time they asked me to lead them in a series of John Denver tunes Some silly fun with mayors and other officials goes a long way It was a great start to what would be three days of sharing ideas on local governing cultural exchanges and global politics with mayors of cities and countries that I had never been to before you really have time to focus on and absorb 21 centuries of additions to the human history and culture of one space The feeling of experiencing different times in thousand-year-old buildings culminated with the performance of a modern music-pumping fashion show that occurred in the nearly 2,100-year-old Roman Theatre of Arles The magic that brought this whole performance together was that the designers were all using the traditional Arlésienne costume as the base concept for their individual evolutions of this form colored lights flashing off of the ancient Roman columns while the models strode around in their own flashing fashion with cheers from the crowds echoing off the outdoor theaters stone shell as they had 2,100 years before all brought together the meaning of my journey with dozens of other mayors and city officials from across Europe and the U.S. bringing pieces of different cultures and times together in one experience The respect we built for one another goes way beyond any country borders or cultural differences The twinning program fosters trust and love between people and builds educational and business exchanges that benefit the individuals Please talk about the value of the twinning initiative with other cities but having personal relationships with other cities goes beyond the global level of politics which makes it harder to repeat unthinkable hate-based catastrophes like World War II you no doubt found York County ties throughout Europe Please tell us about some of the highlights The biggest surprise was the very first person I spoke with in Jerez I was looking for the local perspective on whether I had parked in a safe spot I walked into the neighboring bar and asked He smiled big and bellowed “AMERICAN!” Obviously but I introduced myself as the mayor of York He responded with a list of historic facts of York’s time as the capital of the new United States in 1777 and 1778 He told me how he loved American Revolutionary War history and we had a good laugh about the universe bringing us together Patrick’s Church for the funeral Mass for Marguerite Eriksson was muted,” the York Daily Record reported “Bright light shined in through the church’s stained glass windows and fresh air blew in through open doors.” An Arles official delivered a eulogy on behalf of his city that spellbound and stirred the audience “Even his translator was visibly moved afterward,” the York Daily Record reported a wreath bore the message: “La ville d’Arles a sa citoyenne d’honneur” – “The city of Arles She was buried in a casket given by the people of Arles York Twinning’s annual 12th Night Holiday tour will be held from 1 to 5 p.m highlighting four locations: the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of York sanctuary and carriage house; Mike and Ellen Johnson’s home; Dean and Ruth Grove’s home; and Mary Todenhoft’s home/Studio Gallery 234 Details: www.ticketleap.events/tickets/yta2024/YTA12thNight2025 Public presentationsJim McClure will sign books with fellow author Scott Mingus at Brown’s Orchards in Loganville from noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 21. He will present at OLLI at Penn State York on “York County in the 1800s: Witnessing Growth of Shops, Terrors of War and Construction of Factories in the 19th century” at 11 a.m. Feb. 10. For information, go to https://olli.psu.edu/york The five-lens set completes the Arles prime-lens series DZOFilm has introduced the Arles B prime-lens set to augment its Arles Series The five lenses in the new set — 14mm T1.9 135mm T1.8 and 180mm T2.4 — feature two aspherical elements A floating lens group structure further minimizes aberrations during focus transitions from infinity to close-up A custom low-saturation blue coating minimizes reflections and suppresses stray light the lenses cover VistaVision sensors with a maximum image circle of 46.5mm DZOFilm Arles B lenses will ship in mid-October and list for $2,149-$2,749 individually The full set of 10 Arles prime lenses lists for $21,398 Follow DZOFilm on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Keep up with American Cinematographer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Act now to receive 12 issues of the award-winning AC magazine — the world’s finest cinematography resource © document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) American Society of Cinematographers Focus Check podcast ep62: Next-Gen Efficiency: Sony’s a7S III FW 4.0 & the Rise of Smarter Gear - WATCH or LISTEN now Focus Check podcast ep62: Sony's a7S III FW 4.0 | Insta360 X5 & much more expanding the range from ultra-wide to telephoto (14mm-180mm) this brings the Arles Series to ten lenses in total all with interchangeable PL and EF mounts for use with various cine cameras The Arles Series was released in June of this year and includes the 25mm The B series expands the series with focal lengths 14mm T1.9 The Arles B Set features most of the same specs as the original set—for example the length of the lenses are 121mm/4.24 in (PL mount) and 129mm/5.08 in (optional EF mount) which are 130mm/5.12 (PL mount) and 138mm/5.43 (EF mount) The weight of the lenses in the series varies from the 25mm at 1490g/3.28 lbs to the 135mm at 1846g/4.06 lbs all lenses have 16 aperture blades and a floating lens structure to minimize the breathing effect Arles Set B lenses also feature two aspherical elements that reduce coma and astigmatism while correcting wide-angle distortion All focal lengths are compatible with Vista Vision and other large-format sensors as well as KOOP filters and Marlin expanders The chassis is constructed from black aluminum and features geared focus and aperture rings (users can choose between metric or imperial focus distance scales) Each lens includes a standard lens support and is compatible with 1/4″ screws while the focus ring maintains a consistent 270° rotation across the entire set and the internal structure has a black matte finish to minimize reflections further All lenses come with a PL mount but can be easily swapped by the user for an optional EF mount All lenses are expected to start shipping in mid-October 2024.For more information, please see the DZOFilm website What do you think of the new set of Arles lenses Have you used any lenses from the Arles series yet Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Stay current with regular CineD updates about news You can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link included in every newsletter. For further details, see our Privacy Policy how-to’s and more?Sign up to our newsletter and we will give you just that You can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link included in every newsletter. The data provided and the newsletter opening statistics will be stored on a personal data basis until you unsubscribe. For further details, see our Privacy Policy and I’ve been taking photographs ever since telling stories as they unfolded behind the scenes I am the photographer for the award-winning Nesterval ensemble documenting the energy and atmosphere of their performances I’ll take on any project with a story to tell Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Nan Goldin declared: “This award is such a great honor. I’m proud to be associated with such great women photographers who I admire and respect. I have a long history with Arles, particularly in the 1980’s which had a profound effect on me and my work early in my career. I’ve returned to Arles several times since then and I’m thrilled to be back.” While continuing to encourage emerging talent through the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles, which it has supported since 2016, Kering launched, in 2019, the Women In Motion Award for Photography at the Rencontres d'Arles. The latter pays tribute to the career of a leading woman photographer and includes funding for the purchase of works for the Rencontres d'Arles Collection. In 2024, Kering renewed its commitment to the festival, becoming one of its Main Partners. Previous Award recipients are Susan Meiselas in 2019, Sabine Weiss in 2020, Liz Johnson Artur in 2021, Babette Mangolte in 2022, Rosângela Rennó in 2023, and Ishiuchi Miyako in 2024. Contacts Presse KeringEmilie Gargatte | +33 (0)1 45 64 61 20 | emilie.gargatte@kering.comEmma Roquier | +33 (0)6 78 04 06 62 | emma.roquier@kering.com     Presse Rencontres d’ArlesClaudine Colin Communication Alexis Gregorat | +33 6 63 84 35 10 | alexis.gregorat@finnpartners.comAristide Pluvinage | +33 6 85 90 39 69 | aristide.pluvinage@finnpartners.com  One body of work and three single images will be selected and exhibited at Salon Matador during Les Rencontres d’Arles in July 2025 OpenWalls Spotlight, in partnership with WePresent and Galerie Huit Arles is an international photography award which offers one series winner and three single-image winners the opportunity to exhibit their work in the prestigious and historic Galerie Huit Arles delves into the evolving interplay between heritage and contemporary life This theme invites photographers to capture the delicate balance between preserving tradition and adapting to modern influences Whether it’s the subtle changes in cultural attire the fusion of ancient rituals with new technologies these images will tell compelling stories of resilience and the ever-shifting identity of cultures in the face of modernity Applicants can submit up to 10 single images or 1 series All Full Access and Digital Access members can claim free entry to OpenWalls Spotlight but entries may also be purchased from the entry website.  OpenWalls Spotlight will be exhibited at a 17th-century mansion and artspace Galerie Huit Arles, coinciding with Les Rencontres d’Arles, the photography industry’s acclaimed annual festival in July 2025. Additionally, selected artists will be featured in 1854.photography and will have their work shared with national and international press list The winner of the Stories category will also receive travel (up to £500) and accommodation to attend the private view of the exhibition This year’s panel includes Dalia Al-Dujaili (Online Editor Tosin Adeosun (Curator and Fashion Historian) and Daphne Chouliaraki Milner (Culture Director their small team commissioned artists from all over the world to make WeTransfer wallpapers Feeling it was a shame to show the artists’ work without giving any information about the creative behind it they launched a blog called This Works to publish articles about the artists they love WePresent's mission is to be the most representative creative site on the internet they have worked with more than 1000 artists from over 100 countries Galerie Huit Arles is situated in a 17th century mansion in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Arles The Provencal town is renowned for its Roman monuments Founded in 2007 Galerie Huit Arles has acquired a solid reputation for the careful selection of its artists – both established and emerging – and the quality of its hangings and installations Exhibitions are curated either independently or in collaboration Partners have included: The Victoria & Albert Museum Through the lenses of world-class photographers British Journal of Photography explores rich and timely stories of art BJP sets the bar for photographic journalism — and has done ever since writers like Arthur Conan Doyle and George Bernard Shaw first graced our pages in the 1800s over the course of more than forty exhibitions at various of the city's heritage sites the Rencontres d'Arles has been a major influence in dissiminating the best of world photography «Our identities [...] are not rooted in a single territory In the spirit of Édouard Glissant's thought which celebrates the intertwining of cultures and the richness of encounters this new edition of the festival proposes to explore the image in a polyphonic form photography is not limited to an exotic gaze: it inscribes the elsewhere in a dynamic of exchange and "cultural translation," extending the reflection of the anthropologist Alban Bensa Photography is considered as a tool of resistance and social transformation in the face of contemporary crises Engagement runs through the entire program of this 56th edition while the world is shaken by the rise of nationalism the photographic perspectives offered provide an essential counterpoint to dominant discourses Through a dialogue between contemporary and emerging scenes the exhibitions presented in the context of the Brazil-France 2025 Season celebrate the artistic richness of the Latin American country The Ancestral Futures exhibition proposes a reflection on memory and identity: by reinterpreting visual archives artists question the colonial legacy and the struggles of Afro-Brazilian representations are redefined and open new perspectives on History and the future while debates on the restitution of heritage and the rewriting of founding narratives intensify the collection of 250,000 negatives by photographers João Mendes and Afonso Pimenta reveals the daily life of the Serra community in Belo Horizonte This dynamic is extended with the exhibition dedicated to Claudia Andujar whose activism finds its sources in the struggles of the 1960s and 1970s before she dedicated her work to the indigenous Yanomami people As for the Foto Cine Clube Bandeirante (FCCB) it illustrates a pivotal period of Brazilian modernist photography Another continent reveals a fascinating panorama of its photographic creation emanating from indigenous artists or its contemporary artistic scene On Country: Photography from Australia explores the profound and spiritual relationship that First Peoples have with their lands which transcends colonial history and modernity is expressed in works where photography becomes a tool for transmission and resilience in the face of climatic and political disorders that threaten this cultural heritage The question of territories and their mutations also traverses other geographical areas US Route 1 revisits Berenice Abbott's unfinished project Anna Fox and Karen Knorr continue this exploration of the mythical route linking Maine to Florida revealing the profound mutations of the United States—economic fractures and identity tensions—accentuated by recent political upheavals it is through childhood memories that the crossing of a vast expanse is evoked leading us to the banks of the Canal du Midi The exhibition dedicated to the reference photographer Louis Stettner links the American and European continents exploring his role as a bridge between American Street Photography and French humanist photography Through 150 images and unpublished documents as well as the diversity of his artistic experiments His images translate a deep sensitivity to social realities an approach also found in the work of Letizia Battaglia The Italian artist captured with unparalleled intensity the violence of the Sicilian mafia while magnifying the beauty and breath of life of Palermo Her work resonates with the growing threats to investigative journalism and freedom of the press a sensitive subject taken up by Carine Krecké laureate of the Luxembourg Photography Award who questions our view of information and the memory of conflicts Among the prominent presences of this edition laureate of the 2025 Women In Motion Award and an emblematic figure of the festival returns with a new proposition that testifies to her singular particularly around family and friendship ties What connects individuals relates to complex relationships and Erica Lennard explore these different links The works of Carmen Winant and Carol Newhouse broaden the contours of the notion of kinship by integrating identity and emotional heritages thus deconstructing the boundaries between biological and elective family In a memorial register imbued with acts of revolt and aspirations for emancipation Agnès Geoffray questions our relationship to history through her work on institutions for underage girls in France Through photographic and textual recompositions she gives voice and presence to those who were deemed "uneducable," questioning the social norms of their time and thus revealing ignored parts of the past the richness of anonymous images stands out through the Marion and Philippe Jacquier collection Composed of nearly 10,000 anonymous and amateur prints it offers a vast body of visual stories where intimate This exploration of vernacular photography reveals fragments of past lives and snapshots of everyday life The intertwining between photography and other disciplinary fields is embodied in the exhibition Yves Saint Laurent and Photography conceived with the Yves Saint Laurent Museum Paris Offering an immersion into the couturier's universe it explores his relationship with the photographers of his time and his intimate inspirations his fashion finds a new dimension in photography the festival pursues its desire to highlight emerging talents The exhibition of the 2025 Louis Roederer Discovery Award extends its reflections on the contemporary challenges of photography and returns to its quarters at the Espace Monoprix With Aurélie de Lanlay and the entire festival team to discover a vibrant and committed edition emphasizing the highest technical qualities All five lenses are mechanically consistent with 95mm front diameter and 0.8 pitch gears aligned across all lenses The cherry on top is the bright T1.4 aperture enabling an extremely shallow depth of field and excellent light-gathering capability throughout the line All DZOFilm Arles primes share identical dimensions Encased in a black aluminum chassis with geared focus and aperture rings with the 25mm T/1.4 being the lightest at 1490g/3.28 lbs The 100mm T/1.4 is the heaviest at 1830g/4.03 lbs The Arles lenses will use PL mount as a default with the EF as an extra Another nice touch is user-swappable markings for your choice of metric or imperial focus distance scales All the DZOFilm Arles lenses use a rather complex optical design and are relatively large as a result These designs are all aimed at ensuring highly corrected projection with minimal distortions and aberrations The line is designed to maintain a consistent look across all focal lengths and we’ll try to get our hands on the set to confirm them the sample footage looks fairly good in that regard This line will only work with Sony E-Mount though Does the DZOFilm Arles T/1.4 prime hit a sweet spot for your creative needs Will you consider getting them or opt for a different set Omri Keren Lapidot started his way long ago hauling massive SVHS cameras as a young local news assistant Maybe it was the weight that pushed him towards photography In recent years he became a content creator and above all - a father of (fantastic) four girls — Three days and 858 lots made up Stair Galleries’ single-owner sale of property from the collection of Aso O Tavitian’s collection included English furniture A French marble figure of Venus d’Arles from day two that was previously sold by Christie’s earned the highest price of all three days this 6-foot-8-inch tall sculpture was done after the antique prototype that resides in the Musée du Louvre Additional highlights from all three days of the sale will be featured in an upcoming issue Tiffany Flatware Service Sets Table For Success At Nye Estate-Fresh Dzubas-Signed Painting Leads At Ralph Fontaine’s McInnis Gets Nearly $10K For Black Folk Art Doll This year’s annual art photography festival leads visitors to spooky subterranean work by Sophie Calle devastating images of oceans under threat and some gigantic AI vegetables ‘Are you sure?” a man ascending the stairs asks before I venture down into Arles’ ancient cryptoporticus At the bottom awaits Sophie Calle’s exhibition Neither Give or Throw Away It’s one of the headline shows of this year’s Rencontres d’Arles photography festival but I understand what the concerned passerby means It’s spooky down here in the subterranean chambers where the semi-dark is permeated only by the stagnant scent of underground damp and pools of sepia water collect on the dirt floor AI adventures … New Farmer by Bruce Eesl Photograph: Bruce EeslyI’ve walked into a funeral for photographs – a final farewell for Calle’s ill-fated series The Blind when the French artist interviewed people attending an institute for the blind in Paris in 1986 She interviewed 23 individuals of all ages and the series is composed of Calle’s haunting closeup photo portraits of them with collections of photographs of the things they describe in text extracts as beautiful – the sea and how images are constructed in the mind the works were damaged after a storm hit Calle’s storeroom and they became infested with mould spores So this – at least according to Calle – is to be their final resting place along with some other works she wasn’t sure what to do with But in case you’re thinking of taking anything – as the title implies – don’t bother As Calle warns in an introductory statement: they’re toxic It’s a bracing beginning for this year’s edition of the world-famed photo festival opening just as France enters a new political chapter What we are has a huge impact on what we see – and this is explored in existential ecstasy across Arles A giant floating cucumber and colossal cauliflowers turn out to be an AI-generated historical fiction about the Green revolution by Bruce Eesly that eventually becomes too absurd to believe yet leaves you considering the veracity of any visual account taken as fact In the ecclesiastical setting of the Saint Trophime cloisters with gorgeous gradients that change as you move past them are in fact recordings of sunrise and sunset on high seas in the Arctic Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea They were taken by sailors and navigators according to strict instructions laid out by artist Mustapha Azeroual and curator Marjolaine Lévy These benevolent abstract images belie a dark political undertow: a chromatic call to arms about the degradation of the seas and skies the colours the result of human activity on Earth Doozy … Everyday Baroque by Rajesh Vora a wounded civilian sits on the ground in tattered clothing; the remains of the flesh of his left leg poke out of torn trousers Nearby a soldier poses with a grisly facial wound It turns out it is all part of an elaborate simulation of warfare documented by Harvard-trained human rights lawyer Debi Cornwall at army bases across the US The relief when you discover they are not real is short-lived This realistic role-play walks a razor-thin line Many of these bases employ real refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan to reenact versions of themselves in these mock Middle Eastern landscapes to help American soldiers train for combat I couldn’t get enough of Rajesh Vora’s glorious documents of the doozy sculptures that sit atop homes in villages across the Punjab each creation more wild and entertaining than the next A photographic paean to the short-lived history of the railway dining carriage and another devoted to the Provençal pastime of petanque but I find both too on-the-nose to feel there’s much more to them than seductive gimmick A show about vampires in a church sounds promising: but the exploration of “tropical goth” a Colombian gang active in the 1970s and 1980s from a strange video of a 13-year-old’s birthday party that this is the only major representation of Latin American artists at Arles this year ‘Tropical goth’ … Vampires Fear No Looking Glass by El Grupo de Cali at Les Rencontres d’Arle Photograph: Teresa Suárez/EPAAs with most festivals it’s the unknown acts that unexpectedly steal the show: pass the fruit and veg aisle and duck between the women’s underwear at retail chain Monoprix to find the Louis Roederer Foundation 2024 Discovery award shortlist exhibition each artist expresses disillusionment and anxiety about what comes next in the world in evocative ways To Believe in Something That Will Never Happen … Tshepiso Mazibuko Photograph: Tshepiso MazibukoNanténé Traoré’s works are physically and conceptually porous printed on plexiglass and transparent fabric An entirely different atmosphere is created by Tshepiso Mazibuko – the only African woman included in this year’s official programme Mazibuko’s series borrows from a Sesotho proverb – To Believe in Something That Will Never Happen – and focuses on young people and children in the first established Black township of Thokoza belong to the born-free generation – but as Mazibuko’s empathetic documents show their circumstances are still difficult and full of dashed hopes Mazibuko’s body of work is an indictment of the romanticised view of post-apartheid freedom and a testament to the bittersweet perseverance of youth in unequal times The winner of the Discovery award 2024 is François Bellabas’s project An Electronic Legacy which began in 2016 when the artist found himself in the middle of a wildfire in California He captured the burning landscape and charred skies on camera he used the images from that database to create a tracking shot with ChatGPT Images from all three periods of the work are arranged in a riveting installation that dovetails the hot-button topics of climate change Riveting … François Bellabas Photograph: François BellabasElsewhere across the city groundbreaking group show of 26 Japanese women photographers working between the 1950s and today a period in which Japan has experienced immense change but in which the gender gap has hardly narrowed I’m So Happy You’re Here is possibly too crammed with artists and themes to give enough space to each but it’s nonetheless a vital reminder of how women have shaped the medium in Japan through the postwar period and beyond Many of the artists deal with the socio-political concerns of women in a society that last year dropped in ranking to its worst-ever position in the Global Gender Gap report Nagashima Yurie – one of Japan’s leading activist artists – literally sticks a middle finger up at the patriarchy in her punchy provocative nude and semi-nude portraits of herself pregnant As she puts it: “When you have a camera on a tripod you have the space in front of the camera and also the space behind the camera It’s a way of taking action against the historical roles of the male and the female in photography.” These are juxtaposed with quieter subversions such as Ushioda Tokuko’s fastidious documents of her everyday life at home – from the old fridge her husband surprised her with that once belonged to American soldiers sticking up delightedly from a pile of sheets these images tease out a sense of oppression in a subtle way Photographing domestic things that have meaning and importance to the artist is her way of aggrandising them of giving them a life that’s bigger than the space they are permitted A final unmissable moment at Arles is Mo Yi’s Me in My Landscape the first survey of the remarkable yet little known Chinese artist’s work It features 150 contemplative and captivating photographs that showcase the brazen inventiveness of an outsider Mo Yi was a professional footballer for a decade who worked for a time as a photographer at a children’s hospital in Tianjin and later trained in meditation Much of his work is influenced by the rupture he experienced when his family relocated from a rural Tibetan diasporic community in Shaanxi Province to the city of Tianjin after the Cultural Revolution Contemplative and captivating … from the series Scenery with Me: A Hint of Red by Mo Yi Photograph: Mo YiAgainst the backdrop of an expanding his presence interrupting the slick and sleek pace of modern life Struggling to situate himself against the McDonald’s box fresh sneakers and heaving intersections the world around Mo Yi becomes shinier and newer as he becomes older Mo Yi attached his camera to the end of a stick and walked around the city shooting via a remote shutter button to give a dog’s eye view Another time he attached his Minolta to the back of his neck his chest or his arm to take pictures on the streets or on the bus – getting closer to the experience of looking and being than constructing and composing frames Consistently experimental and with an anarchic character Mo Yi turns the camera from a vehicle of modernism into a complicit companion a meditating Mo simply stands in the middle of the frame that perhaps we photograph things to drive them out of our minds Lee Ufan Arles opens in the south of France a collaboration between the famed Korean artist and Japanese architect Tadao Ando Designed by two friends, artist Lee Ufan and Japanese architect Tadao Ando the new space embraces the classic proportions of its location – the Hôtel Vernon constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries – while creating an ideal venue to show Ufan’s art including a large temporary exhibition space Material matters because we just show action Ufan is perhaps the most well-known Korean artist working today famous for his conceptual sculpture and painting which has an instantly recognisable aesthetic born out of a combination of ideas from Eastern and Western cultures The building's design has a lightness of touch although some additional rooms were created on the ground floor to improve visitor flow This level features both painting and sculpture including site-specific works and large-scale paintings from throughout Ufan’s career The placement of each work in relation to the dynamics of a space is key to Ufan’s practice and in his own space 'I think floors and corners in spaces are very important And this constitutes minimum conditions to exhibit my work the relationship changes between my artwork and the space sometimes hesitate where to place things,' says Ufan The space and object relationship creates a tension.' In working with the existing space using classic terracotta hexagonal tiles the personality of the building is preserved there is also space for Ando’s classic use of industrial concrete in a large installation at the entrance escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox 'Lee Ufan especially worked on the painting selection and the display order He wanted [the paintings] to be hung in chronological order He created tension by [having visitors pass] from small rooms to bigger rooms He is also interested in investing in the walls or floors as you can notice with the wall painting that can be appreciated before [visitors discover] his latest series of large-scale paintings Dialogue and Response,' says general coordinator at Lee Ufan Arles One of the major concerns of Ufan’s practice is the relationship between objects and materials through space and aesthetics He will place natural stone and iron in relation to one another to highlight their difference in appearance but also to emphasise that one is made from the other A large rock sits on a pan of broken glass and a room filled with the rippling reflection of an installation is built around a regular drip of water This concern with the natural world makes the collaborative Art & Environment prize awarded by Lee Ufan Arles and Maison Guerlain a logical fit has just opened his exhibition ‘À ténèbres’ (To Darkness) on site highlights the loss of natural darkness in the face of light pollution through painting and etching inspired by 18th-century German literature and the moth as written about by Virginia Woolf leeufan-arles.org editor and broadcaster covering arts and culture based in London In her decade plus career she has covered and broken arts stories all over the world and has interviewed artists including Marina Abramovic Lubaina Himid and Herzog & de Meuron. She has also worked in content strategy and production.  Early July rang in the latest edition of Les Rencontres d’Arles one of the most anticipated annual photography festivals in the world the exceptionally well-curated event sees historic venues across the idyllic Provence city transformed into exhibition spaces for work by established and emerging artists alike it’s difficult to experience the festival’s myriad offerings in a short span of time which is why we’ve put together a guide of our must-see shows ranging from pixelated sunsets and a Sophie Calle burial to extraordinary photographs by Japanese women photographers Following on from its C/O Berlin debut last year the first career-spanning survey of US photographer Mary Ellen Mark has relocated to the Espace Van Gogh – the former hospital where Van Gogh sought medical attention after chopping off his ear The exhibition space is accessed through the building’s verdant courtyard modelled on Van Gogh’s Le Jardin de l'Hôtel de Dieu whereafter you are plunged into Mark’s largely monochrome world somewhat dilapidated Église des Trinitaires is an apt venue for Vampires Fear No Looking Glass a group show spotlighting the work of countercultural art collective El Grupo de Cali Founded in the Colombian city of Cali in the 1970s by writer Andrés Caicedo and filmmakers Luis Ospina and Carlos Mayolo artworks and photographs blend gritty realism with satirical and surrealist elements to critique Latin America's political and popular culture The exhibition explores the Cali creatives’ dark visual language and ongoing influence “sucking the visitor into the myth of Caliwood a term which has settled in the minds of younger underground generations and which is fuelled by ideas around vampirism This is embodied in a wonderful black-and-white series by María Isabel Rueda capturing a fabulously brooding array of young women A short clamber to the first floor of the imposing Palais de l’Archevêché is rewarded by I’m So Happy You Are Here a revelatory ode to Japanese women photographers from the 1950s to the present day the work of more than 25 artists from different generations – some well-known others bafflingly overlooked – is divided into three distinct sections critical perspectives on Japanese society (and the role of women within it) and experiments with and extensions of the photographic form Hard-to-pick highlights include Toyoko Tokiwa’s notorious 1957 photobook Kiken na Adabana (Poison Flowers) which draws back the curtain on a vibrant community of sex workers operating in postwar Yokohama and contemporary image-maker Yurie Nagashima’s raw and recalcitrant snapshots from her own life which boldly subvert traditional notions of femininity and self-representation Particularly beautiful are the images from Narahashi Asako’s series Half Awake and Half Asleep in the Water awe-inspiring landscapes captured from a partially submerged perspective so that the viewer is cast adrift entry to this year’s Discovery Award section involves a journey through the women’s lingerie department of the Arles Monoprix Made up of images from her project Ho tshepa ntshepedi ya bontshepe – a Sesotho proverb meaning “to believe in something that will never happen” – Mazibuko’s award-winning submission sheds light on the lived experiences of the “born free” generation (the first generation of Black South Africans born after the end of Apartheid) to which she belongs A girl’s pale pink shirt is marked by an oily handprint; a blurred figure sprints through a run-down neighbourhood; a young man seated on a sofa delivers a sombre stare Through such open-ended yet narratively suggestive scenes the artist invokes “her own frustration with the notion of born free the trauma and responsibility inherited by her generation the pervasive sense of sadness in a vulnerable place,” to quote the Discovery Award curator Audrey Illouz the prevailing mood is charged: “something stumbles,” Illouz notes At some point during your Rencontres d’Arles visit you’re likely to feel hot and sticky and a little overstimulated the antidote to which lies in The Green Ray dimly lit space overlooking the Saint Trophime Cloister the exhibit is a collaboration between artist Mustapha Azeroual and curator Marjolaine Lévy winners of the esteemed BMW Art Makers programme which grants an artist and curator duo carte blanche to create new work for the festival each year the show draws on the notion of the green ray that rare optical phenomenon channelled by Jules Verne wherein a green dot appears for a split second above the sun as it rises or sets these works also offer a politically charged snapshot of our contemporary moment their differing tones the direct result of human pollution upon the seas and skies “There is a double reading,” explains Lévy but to make a subtle and poetic observation We want the audience to experience something new and to engage with it.” In the lofty gothic environs of the Église des Frères Prêcheurs the Spanish photographer Cristina de Middel turns both her lens and her imagination to Mexico and the migration route from its southern border with Guatemala to the small Californian town of Felicity Looking to challenge the reductive viewpoint on migration peddled by US politicians and news outlets de Middel spent a number of years accompanying migrants along the different the stages of their journey through Mexico to the US presenting their quest as “heroic and daring” The exhibition is made up of straight photojournalism combined with surreally staged imagery which is displayed alongside archival footage and found objects to craft a complex and compelling narrative – one filled with heroes and villains and the “dystopic disappointment” that is Felicity a final destination that proclaims itself the “centre of the world” but leaves a lot to be desired a series of underground chambers beneath the city centre makes for an atmospheric conclusion to the Rencontres d’Arles experience this dank exhibition space caused damage to the photographs that adorned its walls – a fact that inspired the inimitable French artist Sophie Calle to rehome some of her own which fell victim to mould spores while sitting in storage wherein blind subjects describe their visions of beauty and – rather poignantly – various works that speak of death or loss It was suggested that Calle destroy the pieces to prevent contamination following in the footsteps of the artist Roland Topor who buried an old sweater “he could not bring himself to give away nor to discard” alongside a number of other worthy objects from her life (a torn wedding dress The resulting display is sombre and elegiac its haunting impression lingering even as you reemerge into the scorching Arles sun [NB. If you have time, be sure to check out Luma, where other excellent shows abound, including a Joel Coen-curated selection of Lee Friedlander photographs and exhibitions from Judy Chicago, William Kentridge, Theaster Gates and Mo Yi] Rencontres d’Arles 2024 runs until 29 September 2024 Installation view of Randa Mirza’s Parallel Universes series (2006-08) In one of Randa Mirza’s photographs at Les Rencontres d'Arles a blonde woman smiles and throws a peace sign at the camera Behind her is a tank—its long cannon pointing towards the top of her head—as well as soldiers and an elderly woman holding a plastic bottle of gasoline Randa Mirza. The Selective Residence, from the Beirutopia series (2019) Courtesy of the artist / Tanit Gallery France’s Stephen Dock is another photographer exploring mythologies, this time within his own work. In 2011, aged 22 and without training, he travelled to Syria to cover the civil war that had begun to stir there, continuing on to visit Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Lesbos and Macedonia. For his exhibition at Rencontres D’Arles, he interrogates the photographs he produced on this journey, cropping, re-organising and eventually annihilating them. In one room, he displays a selection in a grid, the places and dates left off of the captions. Whose stories these are, and where they begin or end, is lost to time and process. Later, a video installation merges hard-to-read footage drawn from various online sources—close-ups of mouths speaking, explosions, figures wandering a landscape. This was an age when photographs—and grainy surveillance documentation—began being shared widely across the internet, and here is the confusion that follows. Installation view of Stephen Dock, Echoes series (2011-23) Other works, meanwhile, bring this process to its natural conclusion: images, run through a photocopier over and over, disintegrating into nothingness. The final piece is Untitled I (2023), in which representation has gone and all that is left is a flurry of blood-red pixels. This is the fallacy of attempting to understand the world in a picture. It cannot be done. Installation view featuring Stephen Dock, Untitled I (2023) from the Echoes series (2011-23) Installation view of Debi Cornwall, Model Citizens, featuring images from the series Necessary Fictions (2020) Debi Cornwall, Flagraising, “Save America” rally, Miami, Florida, US, from the Model Citizens series (2022) None of these shows proffer an answer to the questions they pose—indeed, how could they? But what is perhaps the closest to one comes from an unexpected source. In When Images Learn to Speak: Conceptualised Documentary Photography from Astrid Ullens de Schooten Whettnall’s Collection, an exhibition at Luma Arles, the text reads: “The foundation’s collection… testifies to another important truth: while it recognises that the single image can be beautiful, even great, it also knows that it says surprisingly little about the world.” What follows are a series of groupings that, together, speak of the power of multiplicity, of nuance and seeking the bigger picture. In an increasingly fractured, frightened world, this is something we could all do with keeping at the top of our minds. news25 June 2020In memoriam: Chinese dissident photojournalist Li Zhensheng, chronicler of China's Cultural Revolution Li spent his life “striving to bear witness and document history” archive1 November 1997Requiem for photojournalism: New publications and exhibitions “Today the photo magazines have all folded or been turned into vehicles for lifestyles and personality portraits” It has been two decades since Maja Hoffman patron and pharmaceutical heir established Luma Foundation—her platform supporting and producing projects by some of the world’s biggest artists a sprawling campus in the French city which unveiled its centrepiece—a spiralling tower designed by Frank Gehry its glittering facade designed to mimic the brushstrokes of Vincent van Gogh is the centrepiece of the Luma Arles campus © Adrian Deweerdt Kentridge’s reimagining places other avant-garde artists, such as Frida Kahlo, pioneers of the anti-colonial Négritude movement, such as Aimé Cesare and the Nardal sisters, and other important figures of the time on this journey—their faces appearing as cardboard masks. I Am Not Waiting Any Longer takes visitors to the heart of his process: there are research materials, such as photographs taken on the actual crossing; cardboard masks scattered across a wall; and intricate maquettes of the set. Cardboard masks from William Kentridge's opera The Great Yes, the Great No on display in his exhibition Je n’attends plus (I am Not Waiting Any Longer) © Victor&Simon—Grégoire d’Ablon Still from William Kentridge, More Sweetly Play The Dance (2015) Courtesy Maja Hoffmann / LUMA Foundation collection and the artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, installation view of A LOT OF PEOPLE, featuring untitled (up against the wall motherfuckers) (2023) and untitled (mañana es la cuestión) (2021) © Victor&Simon—Iris Millot When she launched Luma Arles, Hoffman said the project was “not about hanging a collection, but social impact and activating the region”. This has resulted in projects such as Atelier Luma, a programme focused on the local ecology and economy, and it is the case for many of its temporary projects too. This includes a new initiative by Theaster Gates, the Chicago-based artist whose urban rebuilding projects in his hometown’s South Side have brought him huge acclaim. Theaster Gates, Le chant du centre (The song of the centre) (2024) © Victor&Simon—Joana Luz What will happen to the work that is made is yet to be decided, but Gates sees the opportunity for the project as a whole to reach into the Arles community, and even right across to his work in Chicago. “I think that in some ways, my art projects become a trajectory that I hope Rebuild [Foundation, under which much of his cultural development practice is undertaken] can aspire to,” he tells The Art Newspaper. “In a sense it’s a trial run of values that I’d like to bring home.” Like Kentridge, Gates, who is an established ceramicist himself, sees the potential broader political value, too. “I strongly believe that the political position, if there’s any, is you use your talent to demonstrate something great.” Theaster Gates, shown here in his Chicago studio, says he hopes his project in Arles can act as a “trial run” for the work of his foundation in the US Photo © Lyndon French. Courtesy of Theaster Gates Studio That sentiment can be seen to carry throughout much of Luma’s current programme, though perhaps nowhere more so than on the upper floors of its soaring tower. There, Ebb, a creative studio led by the artist Neïl Beloufa, is hosting a project exploring topics such as generative AI and data sharing, seeking to move the conversation beyond the dangers and negatives they represent and show instead how they can be used to promote—and preserve—the work of artists. Ebb & Neïl Beloufa, Me Time, synthesis image (2024) Visitors are invited to answer questions on a screen, or via a QR code, and their answers then go on to shape the film that plays out in the main space. The underlying visual language of the film will shift over the run of the show too, as different artists are invited to form it—the first is Jill Mulleady, who has based her environment on a childhood memory. Beloufa sees the initiative as a service, and a necessity, in a world in which technology is rendering human creativity obsolete. “I think it's either we do it or we're dead,” he says. He hopes that the tools provided by Ebb can offer a chance to reclaim authorship of information, and of storytelling, for individuals all over the world. These ambitions are lofty and open-ended, in a way that perhaps encapsulates Luma’s own position as a place where things are made, and thought through, as much as shown. It is an organisation that—with its seemingly ever-growing site and bottomless pockets—will likely long remain under scrutiny. For now, at least, it remains potent, and progressive, in a way that Gates summarises neatly. “The revitalisation work that Maja does, in Arles, could be seen as something good or bad, because transformation hits people in different ways,” he says. “I think that the care that the institution has for artists… it’s not the financial investment [that matters most], it’s the belief that artists have important things to contribute. And they lead with that.” news12 March 2021Frank Gehry’s twisting tower for Luma Arles to open its doors in June Patron Maja Hoffmann is driving the ambitious cultural project in southern France Mustapha Azeroual and Marjolaine Lévy An Obstacle in the Way [Una Piedra en el Camino] Les Rencontres d’Arles 2024 presents over 40 exhibitions and nearly 200 artists and includes the latest iteration of the BMW Art Makers programme ‘Beneath The Surface’ is how Les Rencontres d’Arles, the annual photography festival in the south of France has defined 2024's impressive curation of over 40 exhibitions Sprawled throughout the city of Arles’ charming streets (and a collection of satellite shows across the region) works are exhibited in myriad unexpected contexts from 12th-century chapels and cloisters to the upper floor of a Monoprix supermarket photography has woven its way into the life of the city which each year supports the creation of an experimental visual arts project responsive to current social and environmental challenges As you first enter the cavernous cloister that hosts the exhibition as a reflection of evolving colourful light bounces back to you from a palate-cleansing white wall two lenticular panopticons surround you with abstract sweeping landscapes of colour alluding to a horizon that cannot be determined It’s akin to the experience of being at sea or atop a tall mountain at sunrise or sunset these shifting visions envelop us in a poetic sensory experience Levy refers to the art historian Alexander Alberro who believes that ‘the more works engage the viewer's nervous system Insofar as Mustapha’s work is an optical and kinetic experience there is no sense of hierarchy among the audience We will see things differently depending on where we are and how our brain perceives the colours but we will all have a physical experience The challenge lies in our ability to represent this environmental reality in an abstract way we are witnessing the socialisation of art.’ each image was created from photographs taken by sailors crossing the Arctic This evolves the traditional individualistic authorship template for artistic creation to a method that is more congruent with the works' reverence towards the natural world ‘I’ve never wanted to travel to take photographs… It didn’t make sense to generate pollution in order to capture the effects of human activity it was obvious that I wasn’t going to set off on a boat for several months It made more sense to use a community of sailors All of them were taken in identified areas that enabled me to map remote spaces and where I will probably never go.’ Other highlights of this year's festival include Cristina De Middel’s ‘Journey to the Center’ which reframes the migration route across Mexico as a courageous and dynamic journey rather than a fearful escape Addressing the often over-simplistic perspective taken Middel uses a layered visual language of straight documentary constructed images and archival material to do justice to the path’s complexity rencontres-arles.com/en Mo Yi ( 救). Self-Portrait, 1m, from the series The Scenery Behind Me, 1988 Mo Yi ( 救). From the series Red Streets, 2003 This is Radio Schuman, your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond. From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs, this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans. Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics. No agenda, no argument, no bias, No Comment. Get the story without commentary. Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society. Europe's water is under increasing pressure. Pollution, droughts, floods are taking their toll on our drinking water, lakes, rivers and coastlines. Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters, how our wastewater can be better managed, and to discover some of the best water solutions. Video reports, an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters, from Euronews. We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source, analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing. We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt. Four medical staff members and a prison guard are held hostage at the prison in Arles, in France's department of Bouches-du-Rhône, local media reported. The five staff members were taken hostage on Friday morning. The perpetrator is believed to be a prisoner armed with a makeshift bladed weapon. A special police unit was reportedly dispatched to the prison. France's Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin wrote on social media platform X that all available recourses have been mobilised and that he is monitoring the situation closely. This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates. Global Lead Partner EN • EnglishDE • DeutschES • EspañolFR • FrançaisZH • 繁Welcome these artists offer a fresh perspective on the world by deconstructing its codes","url":"https://www.artbasel.com/stories/emerging-photographers-arles-rencontres","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://d2u3kfwd92fzu7.cloudfront.net/asset/news/2024_MIRZ_02.jpg","width":2400,"height":1400}}The 55th edition of Les Rencontres d’Arles invites the visitor into a world of complex and interweaving narratives The poster for this year’s edition features an image by Spanish photographer Cristina de Middel in which a figure with a long braid stands thigh-deep in water in a mountain landscape directly in front of a dead tree whose branches look like an extension of her hair The image is taken from De Middel’s series ‘Journey to the Center’ (2021) on display at the Frères-Prêcheurs church in Arles which was inspired by Jules Verne’s classic sci-fi novel Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) De Middel’s photographs interweave fact and fiction recasting Verne’s narrative to depict the migratory crossing from Mexico to California as an heroic expedition To help readers navigate this photographic abundance Art Basel has selected presentations by five must-see emerging artists don’t forget to stop by Patisserie Masaki Yamamoto to sample their raspberry and poppy macarons or book a table at Inari to try chef Céline Pham’s extraordinary cuisine du marché Tshepiso Mazibuko‘To Believe in Something that Will Never Happen’ Espace Monoprix the Louis Roederer Foundation Discovery Award has relocated from the historic center of Arles to Espace Monoprix a venue on the first floor of the supermarket whose curved facade is immediately visible upon leaving the city’s main train station One of this year’s nine finalists is Tshepiso Mazibuko a South African photographer born in 1995 in the township of Thokoza who trained at the Market Photo Workshop photography school and attended the Of Soul and Joy program ‘Ho tshepa ntshepedi ya bontshepe’ (2017–2018) is an evocative Sesotho proverb meaning ‘To believe in something that will never happen’ Through a gallery of compositionally tight Mazibuko recounts the story of the Born Free Generation: the first Black South Africans to be born after apartheid Photographed as they go about their daily lives with no attempt made to conceal the latent violence of their environment the artist’s young subjects appear sometimes proud Mazibuko offers an uncompromising portrayal of disillusioned youth in a country that still remains fundamentally divided Randa Mirza was the winner of the Photo Folio Review 2023 delivers a visual essay that combines biographical elements with a critical appraisal of her home country the history of which is pervaded by violence The show features seven works produced between 2000 and 2022 in which she merges reality and fantasy to generate a cynical vision of a Beirut designed and governed by luxury real-estate companies To destabilize this myth of an affluent city located at the crossroads between East and West Mirza’s images present these fictional buildings within the harsh context of their current reality opening up a moment for reflection in a country mired in political struggle One of the highlights of this year’s Les Rencontres d’Arles is ‘Echoes’ an exhibition by self-taught French photographer Stephen Dock whose work addresses one of the most pressing questions of our time: How can we convey the reality of contemporary conflict in images without capitulating to classic tropes of visual mythology and their resulting humanitarian and migration crises This dense display sees the author delve into the vast photographic archives he has assembled over the past 15 years to present a broad-ranging thesis on modern war Rather than seeking to convey the harsh reality of a specific conflict at a particular moment in time playing with pixels and paper alike to turn documentary testament into artistic medium Denying the evidential status of his photographs Dock expands and reframes his images to offer an alternative vision of this significant yet endlessly complex subject Diego Moreno‘L’Engagement’ Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation As part of its group exhibition ‘L’Engagement’ the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation is showing the curious and incisive work of Diego Moreno and painting to explore topics ranging from Catholicism to familial relationships to the unconscious In the series ‘Malign Influences’ (2020–ongoing) the artist manipulates images from his family’s photo albums to depict an alternate reality peopled with monstrous beings Faces in old portraits are doctored or obscured with grotesque masks to render their subjects evil characters In disturbing works that disrupt the iconography of traditional representations of family to expose their hidden secrets Moreno’s subjects proclaim their difference refusing to be silenced by religious or societal norms provides a platform for photographers whose work circulates primarily in printed format rue de Vernon in addition to the bookshop itself – the fair features a program of signings as well as two exhibitions by Maria Stamenković Herranz and Adrien Bitibaly The latter presents his black-and-white series ‘Quatre yeux’ (Four Eyes in which he returns to his native Burkina Faso to uncover the origins of the popular practice of witchcraft Bitibaly travelled the country meeting and photographing traditional priests and women designated as ‘witches’ Les Rencontres d’Arles take place across the city of Arles, France, from July 1 to September 29, 2024. More information here. Caption of the header image: Cristina De Middel, An Obstacle in the Way [Una Piedra en el Camino], 2021. From the series ‘Journey to the center’. Courtesy of the artist/Magnum Photos. The French designer, renowned over the world for her timeless style, discusses her unwavering commitment to philanthropy DiscoverHow Arles became one of the most dynamic cultural centers in the South of FranceAs the celebrated Rencontres d’Arles open, discover the city’s key cultural players DiscoverFive iconic photographs from Elton John’s collectionFrom Robert Mapplethorpe to Herb Ritts, discover masterpieces evoking the love story between the British pop star and his husband David Furnish Christoph Wiesner introduced this edition with an anecdote: in his fight against “gender ideology” President Donald Trump ordered a purge of the U.S which was misinterpreted by artificial intelligence and will always return,” said the festival’s director in response “In this new edition of the Rencontres images are explored in a polyphonic manner Otherness is present through cultural exchanges Commitment is at the heart of the entire program at a time when our world is affected by the rise of nationalism and environmental crises,” he continued This perspective is also reflected in the festival’s poster It features a member of the Australian Aboriginal Warakurna community proudly dressed as a superhero — a striking symbol of resilience highlighting both emerging and established photographers After welcoming a record 160,000 visitors in 2024 the festival aims this year to help audiences view photography as a true tool of resistance is reflected in many of the exhibitions presented Among the collective exhibitions of the 2025 edition stands “On Country” which brings together various Australian Indigenous photographers to explore their definition of a country — a spiritual connection to the land “Ancestral Futures” celebrates the contemporary Brazilian art scene with a dynamic scenography blending photography This exhibition aims to “question the past and historical violence and contest the official history of the territory,” commented Christoph Wiesner Carol Newhouse and Carmen Winant “explore and reinvent the lesbian and feminist self in the United States during the 1970s,” said the director Lila Neutre interprets twerking and voguing—dance styles popular in marginalized Black and Latinx queer communities in America — as forms of festive questions “our relationship with norms and morality” through the experiences of young girls labeled as “deviant” and confined in French “preservation schools” from the late 19th century “She creates personal portraits of those who flee and those who resist,” added Wiesner Letizia Battaglia documented the crimes of the Sicilian mafia “My images are filled with blood.” Finally devoted her work to defending the Yanomami people of the Amazon “In Place of Others” stands as the first international retrospective dedicated to this period of her work In addition to this “resistance through imagery,” the 56th edition of the Rencontres d’Arles also pays tribute to renowned artists — Annie Ernaux and Yves Saint Laurent — alongside emerging photographers with well-established careers such as Todd Hido The program is further enriched by Arles Associé featuring exhibitions by Luma — David Armstrong and Bas Smets — as well as the collective exhibition Sortilèges (Spells) which will be displayed at the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation The Rencontres d’Arles will take place from July 7 to October 5, 2025, in Arles. More information is available on the festival’s website Read More: A Breath of Fresh Air in Arles Don’t miss the latest photographic news, subscribe to Blind’s newsletter. You’re getting blind.Don’t miss the best of visual arts Subscribe for $7 per month or $84 $70 per year LVMH strives to ensure the long-term development of each of its Maisons in keeping with their identity BackCOMMITMENTSCommitted to positive impact environmental and cultural initiatives with a long-term vision The Group works closely with numerous stakeholders that address important social issues BackMAISONSLVMH is home to 75 distinguished Maisons rooted in six different sectors each of our brands builds on a specialty legacy while keeping an unwavering focus on the exquisite caliber of its products Home Wines & Spirits Home Fashion & Leather goods Home Perfumes & Cosmetics Home Watches & Jewelry Home Selective Retailing Home Other activities BackJOINUSWith more than 75 prestigious Maisons covering six business sectors, LVMH offers boundless opportunities. Join us! LVMH x FORMULA 1®InvestorsBackINVESTORSLVMH with 84.7 billion euros revenue in 2024 and a retail network of over 6,300 stores worldwide the center has partnered with Guerlain to create the Art & Environment Prize Each year the prize will be awarded to a project that explores the myriad fertile relationships between artistic creation and the environment Guerlain and Lee Ufan share an ethos that recognizes the importance of supporting and passing on artistic craftsmanship as well as deep commitments to the arts and the environment They view this prize as a means to encourage artistic creations rooted in altruism and environmental responsibility the prize bridges the work of Lee Ufan and Guerlain’s commitments The artist’s practice spans a crossroads connecting three cultures he subsequently lived in Japan before engaging with European culture Eschewing an approach centered on a desire to make a mark or impose a vision and an aesthetic that does not take the environment into account he strives to focus renewed importance on the outside world placing this concept at the very heart of his artistic quest “I’m not looking to verbalize the world or appropriate it Guerlain has long forged an intimate relationship with nature through multiple partnerships and initiatives within the scope of the Guerlain for Bees Conservation Program The Maison has enjoyed a special relationship with bees since the creation of its iconic Bee Bottle in 1853 and has made protection of this natural wonder a cornerstone of its commitments “Our aim is to go even further in our commitment to the bees that inspire our creations and guide our actions This is a fundamental objective for the House protecting bees figures at the very heart of our Raison d’Être.”— Gabrielle Saint-Genis Rodriguez This first Art & Environment Prize is open to all artists worldwide,  regardless of their artistic discipline. There are no age limits or prerequisite qualifications. Candidates can apply for the prize via this  online form All news News LVMHGuerlain and Lee Ufan Arles join to create Art & Environment PrizeCOPYRIGHTS An inmate at Arles Prison in Bouches-du-Rhone in southern France has held five individuals hostage including four medical staff and a prison officer is reportedly armed with improvised weapons described as "artisan spikes," Le Parisien reported Law enforcement officials have deployed the raid intervention unit while police teams have secured the prison perimeter Regional Intervention and security teams are also on standby the situation "remains calm," according to a unanimous police source currently serving a sentence for armed sexual assault has a history of violent behavior and impulsivity The incident is believed to be linked to the inmate's dissatisfaction with a denied request for transfer to another detention center Authorities have stated that there is no indication of terrorism-related motives in the ongoing standoff French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed the incident in a statement on X noting that "all necessary resources" are being utilized to address the situation "I am closely following developments in real time," Darmanin added Van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhône in the exhibition Van Gogh and the Stars at the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles Seeing both the painting and the place where it was created offers a wonderful opportunity to work out what came from the actual view—and what emerged from Van Gogh’s artistic imagination Van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhône (September 1888) the stars of the depicted Plough (or Big Dipper) would never look quite so prominent even in the relatively muted artificial light of 19th-century Arles In the actual sky the Plough points to the North Star so all these stars would have appeared behind Van Gogh when he was looking south at the view towards the centre of Arles He therefore moved the Plough to the opposite part of the sky in order to include the universe’s most recognisable set of stars Van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhône (detail) Van Gogh took his view from the small port at the northern end of Arles just above a sandbar that was used for loading and unloading boats lay just three minutes’ walk away on the other side of the public garden The view of the Rhône is one that he would have seen virtually every day The street lamps along the Rhône embankment would be far dimmer than those he depicted which then had a brightness of around 20 watts (a standard household bulb today is 60 watts) Van Gogh has positioned them roughly every 100m so even the closest one in the painting would hardly have been noticeable The most distant lamp in his picture would have been nearly a kilometre away Light from the street lamps would barely have reflected in the river but the water of the Rhône hardly provides a mirror-like surface; it rushes past Arles on its way to the Mediterranean This seems very unlikely as such headgear would have been most impractical a detail showing Van Gogh’s view for Starry Night over the Rhône (enclosed by red lines) the Yellow House (indicated with a cross) and the public garden in front of his home Van Gogh presented a reasonably accurate view of the horizon The historic centre of Arles is on the left Then comes the bridge over the Rhône (although barely visible in the painting it is above the slightly darker area of water in the centre) the small strip of the suburb of Trinquetaille can be seen at the right of the composition In the foreground Van Gogh depicted two sailboats moored by the sandbar, a feature which can also be seen in one of his own drawings and in an early postcard Van Gogh’s View of Arles on the River Rhône (May 1888) and postcard of Les Bords du Rhône (Banks of the Rhône) (around 1905) Some time after Van Gogh had filled his canvas he had second thoughts and fundamentally reworked the lower-left corner can be seen in two small sketches which he made just a few days after the initial painting Van Gogh’s sketches of Starry Night over the Rhône sent to his brother Theo (c.29 September 1888) and friend Eugene Boch (2 October 1888) Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation) and whereabouts now unknown (reproduced in Emile Bernard Van Gogh turned the lower-left edge into water This larger expanse of water gives more emphasis to the reflections of the street lamps Van Gogh was pleased with the painting and chose it as one of two which he wanted to show at the exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants in Paris in September 1889 It remains uncertain whether he altered his composition in autumn 1888 a few weeks after he had originally done the picture If one gets close to the picture (not easy when it is surrounded by crowds) the later painted area of water in the lower left is clearly visible over the originally larger sandbank as the directions of the brushwork are quite different The Indépendants catalogue named the picture as Nuit étoilée (Starry Night). This evocative title has stuck, reinforcing its attraction as one of the artist’s most beloved paintings (it should not be confused with his second Starry Night picture of June 1889 When the Indépendants show opened in September 1889 the critic Félix Fénéon wrote about the Rhône scene: “Mr van Gogh is a diverting colourist even in eccentricities like his Starry Night: on the sky criss-crossed in coarse basketwork with a flat brush have been applied straight from the tube; orange triangles are being swept away in the river and near some moored boats strangely sinister beings hasten by.” Van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhône (detail) Hastening “sinister beings” seems an unfortunate interpretation since Van Gogh intended them as “figures of lovers” strolling arm-in-arm under the stars bears a superficial resemblance to the artist himself Some commentators have seen it as a self-portrait the couple are there to add human interest and scale Placed upright at the very bottom of the foreground the canvas they seem to stand on the very edge of the frame Although Starry Night over the Rhône is the centrepiece of the Arles exhibition dating from the mid-19th century to the present All are inspired by the mystery of the stars Among the paintings which are most clearly influenced by the Van Gogh is Georgia O’Keeffe’s Starlight Night curated by French art historian Jean de Loisy celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles often with a link to the city's most famed artist Although none of Van Gogh’s paintings or drawings remain in Arles so it will then need to be prepared for its journey to London conservators will be examining the painting to determine whether it might be possible to remove old and therefore much closer to how it was when it left the Yellow House A law case involving a claim for the Sunflowers (December 1888-January 1889) at Tokyo’s Sompo Museum of Art has been rejected On 3 June a US federal judge in Chicago dismissed the case on the grounds that it has no jurisdiction over the Japanese owner of the painting The claim had been filed by the beneficiaries of Paul Mendelssohn-Bartholdy who argued that he was forced to sell the Van Gogh in 1934 The forced nature of the sale is disputed by the Sompo Museum of Art blog12 January 2024Van Gogh 2024 highlights: London’s National Gallery takes the leadThere will be other exhibitions in Italy the Netherlands and Taiwan—plus a topical book and a plethora of immersive experiences blog24 June 2022London's 'spectacular' 2024 Van Gogh show will focus on the artist’s greatest period—we delve into the details“Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers” at the National Gallery will be presented in themes blog8 December 2023Van Gogh’s 'Starry Night over the Rhône' will return for the first time to the city where it was paintedBut did Vincent really wear a hat fringed with candles when he was working Récolte de châtaigne en Vallée de l’Orbiel as counts from the first round of the snap election are coming in; it’s clear the Rassemblement National have won a historic share and now begins a tense period before 07 July when another vote decides whether the Far Right leads the government though politicians are busy jockeying for position there’s also a sense of holding one’s breath It’s an appropriate moment to visit the Louis Roederer Foundation Discovery Award at Rencontres d’Arles because this year it’s themed ‘on the lookout’ galleries and (since 2021) community and artist-run initiatives have suggested artists and the festival team plus a curator have picked out a handful; this year the curator is Audrey Illouz and she’s highlighted ‘disquiet’ as a watchword for her selection A term popularised in France by Fernando Pessoa’s The Book of Disquiet perhaps more so than its many imperfect synonyms (malaise anxiety),” she writes in the introductory text adding that the show explores “a diffuse but palpable sense of unease shared by the seven artists” “Faced with impending of ongoing disasters” these artists are “attentive to the trouble of our time without indulging in frontality” Illouz tells me during a walk-through of the exhibition it was this sense of uneasy alert that came through “This feeling of disquiet or of encompassing the darkness was very of the moment so to do anything else felt too orientated This year the Discovery Award is in a new venue it’s smaller and considerably less grand than the previous space People had become very accustomed to seeing the Discovery Award in the church to the extent that some of the photographers’ applications had specifically detailed installations for it to seek out new connections and resonances The Espace Monoprix also has certain advantages which were useful for this year’s selection it’s interesting but quieter than the church and therefore well-suited to her subtle theme The low ceilings also make it easier to include sound is showing video only – the first time this has happened in the Discovery Award The low ceilings and shape of the room also make it easier to make a route through the works the seven artists are working with disparate media “I thought it was very important to respect all these different languages though at the same time be quite acute with this notion of disquiet.” The exhibition starts with a work by Nanténé Traoré called L’Inquietude “Traoré’s images convey a sense of suspension” reads Illouz’s text and that’s true once the idea of a hospital has registered an appealingly colourful image of flowers takes on a new hue “There is this indeterminacy” to the images it’s no longer clearly identity and gender From there the exhibition moves to another documentary series by South African Tshepiso Mazibuko It’s titled Ho tshepa ntshepedi ya bontshepe [To Believe in Something That Will Never Happen] Mazibuko is part of the generation ‘born free’ after Apartheid The name speaks of the possibilities this generation has been given but also the expectations foisted on them because even if they are free of official discrimination and her images show some of its difficulties the smartly-dressed people but also the impoverished fabric of the place but also this feeling of being disenchanted.” Mazibouko also suggests the complexity of being ‘an insider’ pointing out how unusual it is for a young woman from the townships to do what she’s doing Mazibuko was introduced to photography by mentoring programme Of Soul and Joy and decided to become a professional photographer then an artist At first sight a series of images of Salsigne it’s actually about traces of pollution there stemming from its former gold and arsenic mine “Pollution is a concrete reality but it is invisible,” says Illouz Jourdan shows a hand raised in a peculiar gesture for example; actually this is a reenactment of the way a child showed her wrist to a doctor Jourdan creating them by washing her prints in the polluted local river The results are abstract but also material It’s gentle yet also quite literally gritty Jourdan’s work is also indicative of the shift from documentary to more exploratory works on display François Bellabas’ An Electronic Legacy being the most obviously innovative when Bellabas spent several weeks in California and witnessed the devastating wildfires In 2018 he fed thousands of his photographs of the fire and the apparently unremarkable suburban landscape into a first-generation AI [a Generative Antagonistic Network or GAN] Cut to 2023 and a new generation of AI such as ChatGPT and Mid-Journey have radically shifted the boundaries Bellabas used AI to create a moving installation showing a nightmarish world Fire licks and moves like a living creature; his text prompts but more disturbing is the similarity with his documentary shots of fire prompting the question of how such horror can actually be real “An apocalyptic landscape emerges,” notes Illouz Turkish artist Cemil Batur Gökçeer’s Thin Air also shows natural disasters Involved as a rescuer after the earthquakes in 2023 he took images he didn’t want to show as straight documents Instead his installation mixes these shots with images from other catastrophes Some of the works show more than one shot at a time others include double or even triple exposures he suggests the impossibility of putting neat frames around devastating events “In a way it’s a form of occultism or transcendence,” Illouz explains “It’s a rereading of something that is unspeakable.” Illouz adds that Batur Gökçeer practises coffee-ground reading a factor important enough to go in the exhibition text too; he does so less because he believes he can tell the future than because it’s a way for people to come together Intimacy runs through Marilou Poncin’s installation too The work combines three fictional films (plus a neon piece) exploring our emotional ties to technology The first film shows a topless man caressing and revering a car; the second a lonely figure eating in front of a video of a fellow diner; the third someone kissing and fondling a pliable screen and Poncin walks a fine line with the ridiculous (a group of middle-aged men is guffawing at the car-lover as I visit) but her works speak to our very real relationships with tech “The title alludes to Zygmunt Bauman’s Liquid Love,” the wall text explains “The sociologist analyses the changes affecting the individual in a society where the bonds between people have dissolved because of a constant fear of rejection The ‘palliative’ objects in the installation fill the anxiety of solitude as much as they fit a void.” The seventh and final artist in the 2024 Discovery Award is Matan Mittwoch Born in Tel-Aviv and based between there and Paris his work also explores our interface with technology his installation includes a series of images arranged in a head-height circle titled Cracks and a very large dark print titled And the Stars Look Different Today Both are less abstract than they first appear and both deal with the limits of photography Cracks was made on a demonstration in Israel last summer The red colours and apparent flashes of light are actually close-range photographs of fingers – and the cracks between them – shot when a member of the security forces put his hand over Mittwoch’s camera black image looks like a shot of the cosmos The grains of sand are reflecting the light but they are transformed into a smooth surface by the lens For her it makes for a fitting end to the show “We end on a metaphorical note,” she observes Are we going to jump into the void?” France’s left wing went on to triumph in the election but with far from a majority and Les Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles is at various venues across the city from 01 July to 29 September 2024 the artwork explores the intricate patterns governing movement and process sixty autonomously-moving rectangular blocks act as a swarm executing specific behaviors ‘We developed the interactive dynamics into four types that we have observed in both nature and human society: The Leader, The Hunter, The Vortex, The Machine. The installation is an experiment and a question and how these affect larger structures. How do we define leadership and control in a contemporary context’ shares the studio.  Murmuring Minds by DRIFT | image © Finn Bech what we consider natural and what we see as artificial are complexified in the performative installation The computational code that allows movement becomes part of the relationship and the interface participants and technology enact beyond the conventional idea of passive contemplation creating an environment that extends the boundaries between observation and participation Drawing inspiration from swarming behaviors observed in different species and using the intelligence of birds, fish, and bees as a starting point, Murmuring Minds at LUMA campus creates a space of sociability participants grasp the significance of their actions and responses to the environment as a fundamental survival mechanism and as part of a system while certain movements or actions can elicit synchronized responses from the blocks excitement and anticipation is prevalent in an installation where the fusion of technology and human interaction form the crux of the experience,’ concludes DRIFT.  artist: DRIFT | @studio.drift location: LUMA Arles, France | @luma_arles AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style DZOFilm has announced Arles high-quality cinema prime lenses for full-frame cameras The five Arles lenses have focal lengths of 25mm They all offer a bright T1.4 maximum aperture each of the new Arles lenses offers consistent iris and focus gear positions ensuring that videographers can easily swap lenses without needing to tweak their setup and rig All lenses have 270 degrees of focus throw DZOFilm named its new lens series after Arles a picturesque town in southern France that frequently inspired the famed artist Vincent van Gogh while van Gogh is best known for his paintings that veer far from photorealism DZOFilm’s Arles primes promise extreme fidelity and accurate visual representation As CineD describes the Arles line “opts for a clinical look emphasizing the highest technical qualities.” This contrasts some cinema lenses that trade a bit of sharpness for a more distinct “The internal lens structure utilizes sandblasting and anodizing techniques to create a micro-level anti-reflective coating with ultra-low reflectivity Even when shooting directly against the light the lenses deliver clean and sharp images,” promises DZOFilm adding that each lens promises consistent color rendering DZOFilm’s engineers have had to put a lot of large glass inside the new prime lenses The 25mm and 35mm primes have 14 elements in 12 groups while the 50mm and 75mm have 13 elements in nine groups the 100mm prime has 13 elements in nine groups Although precise weight varies by focal length the series ranges from 1.4 to 1.9 kilograms (3.1 to 4.2 pounds) Each lens has a 95mm front diameter and accepts 86mm screw-on filters but DZOFilm seems keen to corner the “affordable full-frame cine prime” market with its new Arles lenses albeit with a slower T1.9 maximum aperture Become a PetaPixel Member and access our content ad-free Legendary Korean artist Lee Ufan’s museum in Arles, France, in collaboration with Maison Guerlain, presents À ténèbres, an exhibition by Djabril Boukhenaïssi the 2023 Art & Environment Prize winner the show investigates the global decline of the night due to light pollution It features new paintings and prints inspired by the theme of contemporary night and its fading presence and Boukhenaïssi’s residency in Arles an old mid-19th-century term for ‘nightfall,’ symbolizes the cultural and artistic loss linked to the vanishing of night all images by David Giancatarina In 2023, Lee Ufan’s Arles-based museum and Parisian perfume house Maison Guerlain joined forces to create the Art & Environment Prize an annual award that includes a residency and exhibition for a project that focuses on the fruitful and multifaceted relationship between artistic creation and the environment Selected from 381 entries by a jury chaired by Lee Ufan and made up of leading art world figures the painter and engraver Djabril Boukhenaïssi was given eight weeks to reflect and create in the ancient city of Arles.  During his residency, the French artist explored the global loss of night due to light pollution as highlighted in a January 2023 Science magazine article His work examines the symbolic and metaphorical effects of this loss questioning how we can craft night poetry without true darkness His long-term project began with engravings inspired by Novalis’s Hymns to the Night and Rainer Maria Rilke’s Poems to the Night The exhibition critiques how artificial light stifles poetic imagination and changes language rooted in darkness Boukhenaïssi contrasts the control of artificial light with the mystery of night developing a ‘fantastic grammar’ in his art His pieces reflect on how modern ‘white light’ erases natural landmarks and dreams noting that two-thirds of people now live without visible stars Referencing Van Gogh’s The Starry Night Boukhenaïssi questions whether today’s illuminated world would inspire such creativity as a symbol of life’s transience and dreams’ fragility his work invites us to reconnect with the night and its poetic possibilities installation view of the À ténèbres exhibition Boukhenaïssi worked in a large studio opposite Lee Ufan Arles He studied the work of Korean artist Lee Ufan drawing influence from Odilon Redon’s use of pastels and Caspar David Friedrich’s horizontal compositions Charles Meryon’s historic Paris etchings resonated with Boukhenaïssi’s efforts to capture the essence of erosion Boukhenaïssi created large canvases before turning to printmaking producing a body of work that reflects his artistic journey and contemporary exploration of the night Boukhenaïssi merges engraving and painting in a single exhibition He alternates between canvases enhanced with pastels and etchings inviting viewers to explore the final nocturnal shadows This innovation was made possible by his residency in Arles The resulting paintings and prints form a cohesive collection featuring recurring motifs such as the violet night Boukhenaïssi blends historical nocturnal imagery with scientific observations using glazed oil paint with pastel for an ethereal effect with one colored piece presenting a technical challenge Boukhenaïssi contrasts the control of artificial light with the mystery of the night the work examines the symbolic and metaphorical effects of night loss the paintings and prints form a cohesive collection the artwork includes motifs such as moths as stand-ins for stars | image courtesy of Djabril Boukhenaïssi the engravings mainly feature black and white tones | image courtesy of Djabril Boukhenaïssi the pieces reflect how modern ‘white light’ erases natural landmarks and dreams Boukhenaïssi blends historical nocturnal imagery with scientific observations | image courtesy of Djabril Boukhenaïssi Djabril Boukhenaïssi’s works were compelted during his time in Arles pale tones compose the paintings by Djabril Boukhenaïssi the exhibition takes place at Espace MA on the second floor of Lee Ufan Arles name: À ténèbres artist: Djabril Boukhenaïssi | @djabril.boukhenaissi location: Lee Ufans Arles | @leeufanarles dates: July 1st – September 1st, 2024 happening now! partnering with antonio citterio, AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function, but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style, context, and personal expression. Tremors and turmoil, spirits, traces, parallel readings and rereadings all constitute new perspectives underlying the 2024 edition of the Rencontres d'Arles. Photographers, artists, and curators unveil their visions, their stories, such as that of our humanity, alternately thwarted, in perpetual redefinition, resilient, but also visionary. Whether on the margins or established, the narratives lead to multiple pathways. They all emanate from the interstices of a porous surface: they intertwine, overlap, and intersect. The period is exciting, as this ensemble leads to a plurality of paths to be taken. There are numerous forms that photographic writing can take. The relationship with time and narration is particularly perceptible in the serial and conceptual approach of a generation of photographers and artists such as Zoe Leonard, Judith Joy Ross, Hans-Peter Feldmann, or Nicholas Nixon. The exhibition dedicated to the Astrid Ullens de Schooten Whettnall collection, curated by Urs Stahel, reveals its richness. The Rencontres d'Arles continue to actively support and accompany emerging creation. The Fondation Louis Roederer Discovery Prize now takes up residence at Espace Monoprix and invites curator Audrey Illouz to open new horizons, even questioning the dissemination of new technologies such as AI. In FocusOn the Van Gogh trail in Arles where the secrets (and lies) of the artist’s world are revealedAs a major new Van Gogh exhibition opens at London’s National Gallery, Michael Hodges takes a train to Arles to retrace the famous painter’s steps and discovers a twisty tale where fact merges into fiction and brings a surprising portrait of the artist to life turbulent genius overwhelmed by mental illness an easy pilgrimage to such a culturally portentous place Arles has burst out of its medieval walls since Van Gogh’s time and the Hotel Carrel is an empty space on Rue Amédée Pichot destroyed on 25 June 1944 by US bombers seeking the railway bridge over the Rhône But I walk along the same tree-lined avenue through the Roman necropolis shown in The Alyscamps where Van Gogh and Gauguin worked together and the city’s alleyways are still a warren of dun-coloured walls It is down one such alleyway that I find the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles a glass and concrete cube interjected into the ancient architecture which will host the Musée d’Orsay’s Starry Night Over the Rhône from 1 June to 8 September The quayside where that famous work was painted is only a short walk away along the river I’m paces away from the sites of some of his greatest masterpieces; the Café de la Gare immortalised as The Night Café and what was briefly Van Gogh’s home on Place Lamartine captured in The Yellow House with a coal-black locomotive steaming by in the background It was here that Van Gogh prepared a guest room for Gauguin by hanging what is now the National Gallery’s Sunflowers above the bed The site is now the drinks terrace of La Civette Arlesienne – three beers on tap no obvious artists in residence – but the railway bridge survives graffitied yet pregnant with the possibility of Van Gogh’s train puffing back at any moment is the scene of Van Gogh’s Entrance to the Park in Arles The park is now a roundabout and the council mistakenly places the sign indicating the site of the picture 10 minutes away in the Jardin d’Été during this trip I encounter a lot of this mislabelling and obscuration a café makes an initially convincing claim to be the one in Café Terrace at Night but a local tells me it’s a fake version created in 2000 by three local businessmen since prosecuted for tax offences Van Gogh happily indulged his own artistic licence – the Plough constellation that hangs over the river in Starry Night Over the Rhône would have been behind him in the night sky Much of his legend of being a miserable loner is overplayed Van Gogh welcomed company and often painted his Arles friends He took the dashing army officer Paul-Eugene Milliet (subject of the fabulous portrait The Lover) across the fields to the abbey of Montmajour a ruined medieval hulk of crusader castle proportions it’s 26 minutes by bus from Avenue George Clemenceau and I find a place where I know Van Gogh was happy about the pleasure of stealing figs at Montmajour There is misery if you want to seek it out The morning after he cut his ear Van Gogh was treated in Arles hospital Pause and consider him as you go through the gateway he would have entered in pain and trepidation and the courtyard has been planted to give an indication of what he would have seen as he worked on Garden of the Hospital in Arles Van Gogh travelled the 25 kilometres to St Remy by cart in May 1889 as we get closer the twisted forms of the Alpilles mountains come into view so recognisable from works like Olive trees with the Alpilles in the Background I fill up on Provencal nosh at the Bar Tabac then walk up the Avenue Vincent Van Gogh opposite stations of the cross marked out on the way with reproductions of his extraordinary fever-dream landscapes his Calvary – the Saint-Paule-de-Mausole asylum where he suffered so much and which is partly open to the public Here the obscuration continues: “Van Gogh’s bedroom” is in the wrong wing and the window from which I’m told he painted the Alpilles is the wrong window this was Van Gogh’s world and there are glimpses of him in it still Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers at The National Gallery is now open and runs until 19 January 2025 More aboutVan GoghVincent van GoghFrance travelProvenceJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":true,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"Starry Night.jpg","description":"Van Gogh Vincent (1853-1890) for Indy Travel from The National Gallery","caption":"Vincent van Gogh created ‘Starry Night Over the Rhône’ when living in the city of Arles in Provence Vincent van Gogh created ‘Starry Night Over the Rhône’ when living in the city of Arles in Provence Michael Hodges takes a train to Arles to retrace the famous painter’s steps and discovers a twisty tale where fact merges into fiction and brings a surprising portrait of the artist to life Their works shed light on the artistic influences that the Dutch painter drew on to paint it and the impression it has generated and left among the artists after him. Starry Night Over the Rhône’s homecoming coincides with two celebrations that began in April 2014. On April 4th, the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles was inaugurated. The following day, April 5th, the foundation stone for the main building of LUMA Arles was laid the tower designed by architect Frank Gehry Vincent van Gogh was the heart of both projects and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their founding the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles and LUMA Arles joined forces This collaboration includes a public art program centered around one of Vincent van Gogh’s masterpieces. LUMA Arles even tapped the Dutch artist DRIFT for a drone performance above the museum tracing the movement in Vincent van Gogh’s paintings using algorithms The lit drones in the night sky also marked the opening of the exhibition Living Landscape at LUMA Arles an extension to the group show and exhibition at the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles ‘Van Gogh and the Stars’ where the Dutch painter’s Starry Night masterpiece has returned with the rooftop installation The Violet Blue Green Yellow Orange Red House by Raphael Hefti 2014 | images courtesy © Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles and Fluor Architecture (unless stated) photos by François Deladerrière At the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles, the exhibition Van Gogh and the Stars presents Starry Night Over the Rhône alongside the artworks of both contemporary and revered artists such as Anish Kapoor, Mariko Mori, Anselm Kiefer and scientific climates that persisted the 19th century in terms of literature and science Take Anselm Kiefer’s The Secret Life of Plants (2004) where a white vortex is spiraling around a black void and a golden stem with golden withering tiny leaves is placed in the center It is the sibling of his sculptural book of the same name where the pages made of lead are dotted with specks of white paint in an attempt to paint the spectrum and ancient concept of the universe Anish Kapoor’s Untitled (Sans titre) a see-through glass-like box that seems to mimic the supernova in a series of consecutive small acrylic explosions Flecks of their remnants begin to spread out halted and frozen right in the center of the glass case their signature styles circling back to the Dutch painter’s own well of influences The literary works by Victor Hugo and Jules Verne on astronomy grace the exhibition and painters such as Jean-François Millet and James McNeill Whistler’s artworks showcased their understanding of the effects of the night 73 × 92 cm | donation subject to usufruct Mr and Mrs Robert Kahn-Sriber 1975 | image © Musée d’Orsay The writings of astronomer Camille Flammarion which back in the day sold in hundreds of thousands of copies defining the time that led up to the creation of Vincent van Gogh’s night scenes Visitors can also see that some of the contemporary artworks underline the hypotheses roaming around about science fiction and metaphysics as well as related discoveries that magazines covered in the past.  and writers after Vincent van Gogh were gifted resources to expand the alleyways towards understanding and learning more about his nocturnal works and Van Gogh and the Stars expound some of the research that fascinated the public during this time including the work of great scientific illustrators such as Étienne Léopold Trouvelot and Lord Ross’s drawings of spiral galaxies which resemble those of the Dutch painter’s works In a letter to his brother Theo in July 1888 Vincent van Gogh imagined the stars as ‘the refuge of the dead’ a stark observation from his examination of the stars he studied them by the precise arrangement of the constellations in his paintings which also appeared in para-scientific literature from the mid-nineteenth century The way he saw the stars also influenced his contemporaries 73 × 92 cm | donation subject to usufruct Mr and Mrs Robert Kahn-Sri – ber image courtesy of Musée d’Orsay Sternenhimmel (Ciel étoilé) / (Starry sky) Itzehoe | to the right : František Kupka image courtesy of Fonds Hillman Periodicals Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Despite its stillness and seeming emptiness The resulting glow and reflections illuminate the famous view of the Rhône evident now in Fondation Vincent Van Gogh Arles’ exhibition ‘Van Gogh and The Stars’ and the Starry Night painting The influence of this nocturnal scene has graced the works of Edvard Munch Helen Frankenthaler and other major figures who are featured in the exhibition.  Other artists who are part of Van Gogh and the Stars journey to the stars once again explored with the return of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night Over the Rhône to Arles to the banks of the river that inspired it Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting remains in Arles for public viewing while the Van Gogh and the Stars exhibition runs between June 1st and September 8th private collection | to the left : Alicja Kwade Superheavy Skies with the works by (from left to rigth): Mariko Mori with the works by (from left to right): Mariko Mori pure silver and tin base on unexposed Cibachrome paper mounted on alumi – nium 180 × 126 cm | Dove Allouche Sunflowers_39 pure silver and tin base on unexposed Cibachrome paper mounted on aluminium 180 × 126 cm | Dove Allouche 6 million kelvin flaring regions N°5 85 × 65 cm | Dove Allouche 6 million kelvin flaring regions N°6 85 × 65 cm | images courtesy of the artist and Peter Freeman plants and graphite on bound photographic prints Concetto spaziale (Concept spatial / Spatial Concept) Superheavy Skies (Cieux extrêmement lourds) L’Étoile du Berger (Evening star 130 × 163 cm Musée des Augustins Toulouse | image courtesy of Mairie de Toulouse Musée des Augustins | photo by Daniel Martin museum: Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles The T1.4 prime-lens series comprises 10 focal lengths packaged in two sets with the second scheduled for release later this year DZOFilm has introduced Arles T1.4 prime lenses The Arles series comprises 10 focal lengths and is packaged in two sets: Set A includes 25mm Set A is available now and lists for $2,149 per lens or $9,699 for the set of five Set B pricing and availability will be announced later this year Arles lenses feature a low-saturation blue coating to minimize surface reflections decreasing flare and ensuring the clean image Consistent color temperature around 5,000K across all focal lengths reproduces natural colors The lenses have a standardized front diameter of 95mm and a filter-thread size of 86mm The double-scale focus ring enables switching between metric and imperial scales (tools required) Follow DZOFilm on Facebook and Instagram Follow American Cinematographer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram The first European retrospective exhibition of American feminist artist Judy Chicago is now on view at LUMA Arles in southern France the show unfolds as an expanded version of the New Museum’s 2023 exhibition and now presents the most comprehensive display of the artist’s work in Europe to date Covering over 60 years of Chicago’s career the exhibition features pieces from her early experiments to her latest iconic works ‘Many of Judy’s efforts are focused on softening reality or giving it a female touch,’ says Vassilis Oikonomopoulos Director of Exhibitions and Programs at LUMA Arles in a preview attended by designboom ‘She has consistently opened up spaces that were closed off to female artists She is fearless and dedicated to her ideas This is what makes Judy remarkable.’ The exhibition features a revival of Chicago’s early emblematic Feather Room as its centerpiece, while for the opening, the artist unveiled An Homage to Arles, her first Smoke Sculpture in Europe. The ephemeral artwork enveloped the Frank Gehry-designed tower of LUMA Arles in colorful smoke and fireworks (see more here) Judy Chicago, Arles Lilies,2024. metal, color | image © Adagp 2024 © Victor & Simon – Renata Pires Judy Chicago, born in 1939 in Chicago, Illinois, is a pioneering figure in Feminist art from the 1970s, a movement that aimed to portray women’s lives, emphasize their roles as artists, and change how contemporary art was made and perceived. The renowned American artist studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and UCLA shaping her unique style and feminist perspective and performance art to explore themes like female identity Her work has been crucial in challenging the male-dominated art scene and inspiring generations of artists and activists Perhaps her most famous is The Dinner Party a large triangular table installation celebrating women’s history and achievements Spanning around 14.5 meters (48 feet) on each side it features place settings dedicated to notable women throughout history with an additional 999 names inscribed on its base Figures honored include the Primordial Goddess This installation has been praised as a feminist symbol while also drawing criticism for its controversial elements Other notable art projects by Chicago include International Honor Quilt The exhibition Judy Chicago: Herstory at LUMA Arles showcases Chicago’s diverse contributions across various media: painting It traces her evolution from early Minimalism in the 1960s to groundbreaking Feminist Art in the 1970s and later series like the aforementioned Birth Project and The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction These works expand her feminist agenda to address issues such as environmental destruction demonstrating Chicago’s enduring impact across different art movements despite historical erasure Judy Chicago’s Smoke Sculpture enveloped the Frank Gehry-designed tower in colorful smoke | image © designboom The reinstallation of Judy Chicago’s Feather Room is the exhibition’s highlight transforming the space into an ethereal environment filled with feathers This soft and airy room evokes a sense of lightness and timelessness offering a critical counterpoint to the traditional use of hard materials in male-dominated sculpture and architecture organic aesthetic that contrasts with the rigid angular shapes of the minimalist sculptures Chicago had previously explored Instead of sharp angles and orderly planes the architectural lines are softened and blurred creating an expansive effect accentuated by diffuse lighting The installation’s immersive scale is significant profoundly impacting visitors who find themselves enveloped in a cocoon of light and feathers the exhibition features a revival of Chicago’s early emblematic Feather Room | image © designboom a collection of images for which Judy Chicago collaborated with over 150 needleworkers These pieces merge painting and needlework to explore different facets of the birth process a series of works examining the gender construct of masculinity she casts a critical eye at the negative ways in which men have exercised power and some of the consequences for both them and the world Writing in Judy Chicago: An American Vision (the first monograph to appear on the artist) British art historian Edward Lucie-Smith states: ‘PowerPlay is an enterprise that overlapped with the Birth Project almost the only thing the two series of images have in common is that they are both confrontational and deal with issues that have usually not made much of an appearance in Western art.’ The exhibition also includes Autobiography of a Year when Judy Chicago went through a challenging personal period in her life ‘She often describes moments of despair but also of happiness and joy,’ says Vassilis Oikonomopoulos and green blend together to compose dynamic forms ‘Color plays a very big role in Judy’s practice colors unify the way the world inside her grows The exhibition at LUMA Arles is on view until September 29th, 2024. The show coincides with the artist’s largest solo presentation in a London institution, on view at Serpentine North until September 1st, 2024 — find more here the Feather Room | image © designboom 2024 © Victor&Simon – Joana Luz 1971 sprayed acrylic lacquer on acrylic sheet | image © Adagp Pasadena Lifesavers Red Series #2 et Pasadena Lifesavers Yellow Series #2 sprayed acrylic lacquer on acrylic sheet | image © Adagp The Gusford Collection | image © Adagp 2024 © Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society (ARS) Jimei lies on the east coast of China and for the last 10 years it’s been home to a collaborative festival with Recontres d’Arles This year’s Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival features 2000 artworks across the Three Shadows Photography Centre and Jimei Art Centre focusing on bridging the gap between local culture and global artists Running from 29 November 2024 to 12 January 2025 it celebrates its decade-long journey with an expansive program of 25 exhibitions and a renewed focus on integrating local culture with global artistic dialogue There was a special focus on artists from China this year as well as emerging diasporic artists with all eyes on the Jimei x Arles Curatorial Award for Photography established in partnership with Chanel which runs alongside the Jimei x Arles Discovery Award The festival’s origins lie in a partnership between Xiamen’s Jimei District and France’s Rencontres d’Arles Jimei × Arles has showcased over 700 artists and held more than 300 exhibitions a seminal figure in contemporary Chinese photography “We have always hoped for photography to connect with the life and local culture of Jimei’s traditional area and its surroundings.” This year’s Parallel Exhibitions strengthened that vision expanding exhibitions from Jimei to encompass Zhangzhou the audience can delve deeply into the lifestyle and customs of Minnan and Hokkien gaining unexpected surprises,” continues RongRong and RongRong hopes that Jimei x Arles can “start locally and reach out to Southeast Asia having close interactions with photographers from Hong Kong creating a festival with Asian characteristics” one of Jimei × Arles’ hallmarks is its commitment to fostering emerging talent showcases rising photographers with diverse global backgrounds whose haunting series Strangers contemplates the alienation of modern urban life a delicate exploration of memory through reimagined visual fragments The award’s winner receives RMB 100,000 and an exhibition at the next Rencontres d’Arles – a chance to elevate Chinese photographers to international prominence director of Rencontres d’Arles and a key figure in this year’s curatorial jury at Jimei emphasises the rising global relevance of personal storytelling in photography He tells me that many proposals in the Discovery Award reflect personal and historical narratives “I could make the same reflection on the Curatorial [Award] because I was really impressed about the quality of the proposals,” Wiesner continues plays with the archive as a ‘ghost medium’ to interrogate the dissociative nature of being part of a diaspora begging us to ask what migration does to a sense of self seeks to uncover the forbidden feelings of migrants in labour contexts The project attempts to blur the lines between history and fiction through multimedia exposing the small love stories that bloom from migration But it was Metal Odyssey that took home the prize: curated by Yi-Ning Lin and Chia-Shin Yang the exhibition explores the body as an archival space holding memories of medical procedures physical pain and notions around care-giving “I think the Curatorial [Award and its seminar are] a great way to invest in the future of curation in China and position Chinese curators to be active participants in world discourse,” says Andrew Maerkle whilst commenting on the growing focus on self-biographical projects and environmental issues observed a notable gap in references to Chinese philosophy and history among younger photographers attributing this to challenges in discussing certain topics within China and the obstacles of censorship the Chanel lead curator for moving image at Hong Kong’s M+ Museum hosted the curatorial masterclass during the festival: “it was great to see how the brand [Chanel’s] commitment to arts education and the empowerment of the next generation of makers generated such an energising atmosphere I was truly impressed by the talent and dedication of these young curators,” she continues “Their bold perspectives reflect the evolving landscape of photography in China.” Cristina De Middel’s Journey to the Center tackled themes of Central American migration through Mexico to North America with Bruce Eesly’s New Farmer and An Electronic Legacy by Francois Bellabas The other two exhibitions on display – Everyday Baroque by Rajesh Vora and Raising the Dust by Coline Jourdan – complement themes of pollution running throughout many Chinese photography projects and the surrealist photographs on display in Xiaohongshu Inspiring Moments Exhibition: The Unconscious Eyes A defining characteristic of this tenth edition is its deep engagement with local heritage an ambitious initiative merging photography with urban exploration mapped routes through Xiamen and neighbouring cities RongRong highlighted this synergy between photography and place This theme of localised connection was central to the festival’s approach: “We aim to root photography deeply in the everyday life and culture of the region,” he emphasises the retrospective journeyed through Fukase’s artistic legacy from the iconic Ravens to lesser-known experimental works a pioneering figure of China’s Republic-era photography revealing his fusion of pictorialist elegance and avant-garde innovation Behind the festival’s exhibitions lies a dynamic team blending experience and youthful energy RongRong candidly acknowledged the learning curve: “I deeply felt my own knowledge was not enough at times but I am fortunate to work with a dedicated vibrant team that collaborates and learns together.” Wiesner also acknowledged the importance of resilience and partnerships the visibility of art within China remains vital.” He highlighted the festival as an essential “open door” for cultural exchange within China Jimei × Arles aspires to deepen its role as a link between East and West With plans to broaden its international reach and further embed itself into Xiamen’s cultural landscape its next decade promises to be as transformative as its first; as Wiesner says the festival “will probably change the future of photography in China for the next decade.” And in this who observes that “the energy and creativity here are boundless This festival is shaping the future of photography in China and beyond.” Jimei x Arles 2024 International Photo Festival is on at Three Shadows, Xiamen until 12 January 2025 Dalia Al-Dujaili is the online editor of BJP and an Iraqi-British arts writer and producer based in London She's the founder of The Road to Nowhere magazine and the author of Babylon Last week the World Photography Organisation team had a chance to spend a few days at Les Rencontres D’Arles a festival of photography that’s been held in the city of Arles in the south of France since 1970 It’s one of the biggest photography festivals in the world homes and other beautiful spaces in this sun-soaked city from early in the morning to late at night The diversity of venues in which exhibitions and other events are held is a welcome challenge to curators which is reflected in the myriad of creative ways images are displayed It’s a perfect opportunity to discover established and emerging lens-based artists from around the world providing visitors a chance to immerse themselves in all things photography For a city that has inspired the likes of Vincent Van Gogh and Henri Cartier-Bresson curators and culture enthusiasts flock to it every year to network discover incredible art and to find inspiration for their next project While we strolled from one exhibition to another we couldn’t help but notice some familiar names Discover below our Les Rencontres D’Arles highlights featuring past winners of the Sony World Photography Awards Cristina de Middel won 2nd Place in the Conceptual category in the Sony World Photography Awards Professional competition for her series ‘The Afronauts’ which tells the story of Zambia’s involvement in the 1960s space race Her award-winning project had gone on to feature in the 2013 edition of Arles visitors can explore Cristina de Middel’s new series ‘Journey to the Center.’ An image from this project was also chosen as the leading image on Les Rencontres D’Arles’ marketing material Journey to the Center is a series that borrows the atmosphere and structure of the Jules Verne book Journey to the Center of the Earth to present the Central America migration route across Mexico as a heroic and daring journey rather than a runaway the Southern border of Mexico with Guatemala a small town in California that is  officially the “Center of the World” just adds a layer of dystopic disappointment and becomes the perfect colophon for a contemporary version of a heroic jest where the final destination is little less than a roadside touristic attraction With a language that combines straight documentary photography with constructed images and archival material the narrative becomes multi-layered to complete the simplistic approach that media and official reports provide to the complex phenomenon that migration is Rinko Kawauchi was awarded the Sony World Photography Awards’ Outstanding Contribution to Photography title in 2023 This prestigious award recognises a person or a group of people that made a significant impact on the photographic medium Previous awardees include Graciela Iturbide famed for her poetic depictions of everyday occurrences previously exhibiting her works in a solo show in 2004 This year you can find a selection of her photographs in a group exhibition ‘I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Photographers from the 1950s to Now’ I’m So Happy You Are Here offers an exciting new perspective on Japanese photography: a much-needed counterpoint and challenge to historical precedents and the established canon—an electrifying expansion of our understanding of Japanese photographic history the world of photography has made a concerted effort to fill critical gaps in its historiography The excavation and recovery of women’s work serves as a testament to the liberating nature of self-representation and self-expression and to the importance of photography as a medium to express and share one’s own story: to be heard and to be seen Juliette Pavy received the prestigious title of this year’s Photographer of the Year at the awards ceremony in April Her series Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilisation of Greenlandic Women empathically documents the effects of involuntary birth control programme enforced on Greenlandic Inuit women in the 90s including $25,000 and a solo display at the London exhibition the following year We spotted a selection of the French photojournalist’s images in a group exhibition organised by Collectif D’Hors Format celebrated for her empathic photojournalism focused on the plight of the dispossessed was awarded the Sony World Photography Awards’ Outstanding Contribution to Photography title in 2014 A selection of her most in-depth photography projects is being shown in her solo show Encounters at the Espace Van Gogh Curated by Sophia Greiff and Melissa Harris This photography duo’s work has been recognised in the Sony World Photography Awards twice so far This year Caimi and Piccini were awarded 2nd Place in Professional competition’s Environment category for Tropicalia a series of diptychs juxtaposing humans and their environment they won 1st Place in Professional competition’s Discovery category for Güle Güle We’ve spotted Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccini’s book ‘Rhome’ at the Arles Book Fair Rhome by Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccini A journey through the multiple microcosms of Rome far from a stereotyped and tourist-friendly image to discover the most intimate and surprising side of the city We hope you enjoyed our little postcard from Arles Find out more about the Sony World Photography Awards and enter the 2025 edition for free. 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Artlyst Arles 2024 Annual Photography Festival Les Rencontres Never Disappoints – Virginie Puertolas-Syn I embarked on my annual pilgrimage to Arles and visiting the exhibitions on photography and contemporary Art at Luma One of my favourite exhibitions is “I’m So Happy You Are Here,” an exhibition by Japanese women photographers It showcases over twenty-five artists from different generations The exhibition is thoughtfully curated around three major themes: everyday life and bold experiments with the photographic form Yamazawa Eiko – part of “I’m so Happy You Are Here” I was particularly struck by the work of Yamazawa Eiko (1899-1995) one of Japan’s earliest women photographers Her work bridges the pre-and post-World War II eras offering a unique glimpse into the evolving landscape of Japanese photography I encountered the powerful street photography of Watanabe Hitomi (born 1939) documenting the Zen-Kyoto student movement They capture the era’s raw energy and political fervour and I couldn’t help but feel the sense of pioneering spirit in her work Sugiura Kunié (born 1942) fascinated me with her daring experiments in her “Photo-Painting” series (1975-1981) Her innovative approach challenges traditional photographic techniques and aesthetics offering a fresh perspective that I found incredibly thought-provoking Japan) intimately and expansively engages with themes of spirituality and healing Her use of scraping and burning the surfaces of photographs alongside creating sculptural installations with intricate cutouts creates a tactile and immersive experience I was particularly interested in how she blends photography with sculpture and video One of the most poignant moments for me was experiencing the work of Katayama Mari (born 1987) rooted in her personal narrative of living with tibial hemimelia and undergoing lower leg amputation create a carefully constructed scene for her self-portraits These images breathe life into her own sense of self while inviting viewers to question the nature of representation Being surrounded by her embroidered and stuffed objects felt like stepping into her own world I spent a long time at l’Eglise des Frères Prêcheurs delving into Cristina De Middel’s “Journey to the Center.” Inspired by the atmosphere and structure of Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” De Middel presents a striking narrative of the Central American migration route across Mexico to Southern California This journey culminates in the small town of Felicity which is officially designated as the “Center of the World.” I was completely absorbed by De Middel’s dystopian narrative with their saturated colours and evocative sense of void and emptiness offer a profoundly personal perspective on the complex phenomenon of migration The imagery creates a vivid and haunting portrayal of the migrant experience making the viewer reflect deeply on the challenges and hopes of those undertaking such a perilous journey I couldn’t have missed her new exhibition “NEITHER GIVE NOR THROW AWAY” in the Cryptoportiques she orchestrated the destruction of her cherished work I recall discovering The Blind in Arles several years ago and being profoundly moved by its poetic essence dating back to the Greek and Roman periods Calle presents a striking scenography of The Blind offering a poignant farewell to her beloved creation which I had the chance to rediscover and revisit the Arles-based photographer who will have a solo exhibition in Paris at the prestigious photography gallery “Les Filles du Calvaires” in the autumn I hopped on my Cyclo and crossed the city to go to Luma I started with The Astrid Ullens de Schooten Whettnall Collection Featuring 5,500 photographs by around 100 photographers offers a comprehensive and impressive overview of the conceptual documentary photography genre It includes works by notable figures such as Ed Ruscha I really enjoyed the exhibition “Lee Friedlander Framed by Joel Coen” at Luma Tower It showcases an engaging dialogue between the acclaimed film director and the legendary photographer Friedlander’s distinctive “urban social landscape” photographs are brimming with humour and poetry and Joel Coen has accurately captured these elements The highlight of my trip to Arles was visiting with Jean de Loisy the exhibition “Van Gogh and the Stars: A Cosmic Journey,” which he co-curated with Bice Curiger The exhibition centres around Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “Starry Night” (1888) an exceptional loan from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris This exhibition features a wide array of works including 165 pieces by 78 artists such as Helen Frankenthaler I discovered that Van Gogh was deeply fascinated by the stars accumulating extensive knowledge of astronomy and the solar system over the years De Loisy and Curiger have created a daring dialogue between Van Gogh’s masterpiece and contemporary art Arles does not disappoint and remains the most important photography rendezvous of the summer Arles: Les Rencontres de la Photographie 1 July – 29 September 2024 Visit Here Visit Here Read More