For many decades, the tiny city of Arles in the stunning Provence region of France has been hosting Les Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles every summer. This photography festival has grown from a local affair to an internationally awaited event. This August, I finally made it to Arles for an extraordinary weekend steeped in photography, while plunging headfirst in the charming streets of the city.
Having picked up photography just 3 years ago, I still consider myself a newbie. Growing up in small towns across the north-east of India, cameras or photography was nowhere near the radar of my family. It was one of those hobbies that stayed completely outside my realm of perception and budget. However, I always loved the visual world, felt moved seeing powerful images, found photographs a compelling addition while exploring any subject. Here, I am talking as someone who grew up in the 90s. Photos and photographs have become much more ubiquitous in today’s day and age of course, thanks to cell phone photography. And I have happily partook in all that.
However, my relationship with photography completely changed once I moved to Paris. Far from quick snaps on the phone, photography became my consuming passion, one completely mediated by my camera. From being just a photography lover, I became a photographer. As I wrote in my newsletter last week, I picked up photography pretty late in life (in my early 30s), and taught myself everything. While I appreciate my resourcefulness, I often feel at sea when it comes to the technicalities of this art. Its easy to get imposter syndrome often. It’s also easy to cringe internally every time I refer to myself as a photographer. However, visiting one of the world’s most iconic photo festival Les Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles this summer, was healing.
Les Rencontres photo festival felt like an invitation to discover new limits of what photography can feel, look, and be like. It’s a celebration of the struggles, joys, and pitfalls of this art of storytelling. Far from photographic jargon or glitz of the latest technical gear, Les Rencontres was a grounding reminder of just why we photograph, and the powerful stories images can tell if only we stand in front of our self-doubts and follow our creativity and truths.
Why visit Les Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles?
Through the month of July until September, Les Rencontres d’Arles hosts numerous exhibitions from established, as well as new and upcoming photographers from France and abroad. Not only that, the photo festival seamlessly integrates the heritage, ancient history, and modern culture of the city of Arles within its fibre.
Les Rencontres interweaves various locations of Arles into the photographic festivity. These span from century old basilicas to modern galleries, from places like LUMA which symbolise contemporary architecture, to supermarkets. The diversity of genres, artists, mediums, and of settings gives this photo festival a unique flavour, that also underlines why it has come to be such a celebrated photography festival in the world.
Les Rencontres d’Arles began in 1970 as the brainchild of a scrappy group of artists, Arles photographer Lucien Clergue, writer Michel Tournier and historian Jean‑Maurice Rouquette. It began as a small-time affair, but today, has grown into a world-renowned photo festival. Beyond the exhibitions, the festival and its organisers contribute to teach photography to a new crop of students and aficionados every year. Through countless photography workshops, conferences as well as photo walks, the festival continues to work at its goal of photography education throughout the year.
So, why should you visit the Arles photo festival?
You should visit Les Rencontres d’Arles if you love photography, and if want to be inspired, challenged or just be surprised by the breadth of this art form. Again, if you love discovering new photographers as much as you appreciate the works of the greatest photographers of our times, do not miss this photo festival. Lastly, if you want to partake in celebrating photography in a truly exceptional setting, do not hesitate to book a trip to Arles in the summer. Read on to find out just why the city of Arles serves as a truly stunning backdrop to Les Rencontres.
What to expect from the city of Arles: Roman history & Van Gogh
Though the summer, a lot visitors to Arles do arrive here thanks to the photography festival in the city. But that’s not the only thing Arles has to offer. First or all, Arles happens to be in the Provence region of France, widely touted as one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Right next to Arles are the mashy grasslands of Camargue. This region is famous for its natural beauty, pink salt bed and flamingoes, that make it a surreal, unearthly place.
Apart from the natural beauty surrounding Arles, the city has a rich history. The Rhône River flowing through the city made is a strategic economic and trade location, which in antiquity, made it a bustling urban centre. In fact it was the Greeks who founded the city of Arles, but it truly flourished under the Roman rule.
The city of Arles served as a key administrative centre during its Roman rule. The vestiges of its Roman history are still alive in the city’s well-preserved arenas, ancient theatre, cryptoporticos and necropolis. Arles flourished under the Roman civilisation, and was once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Mediterranean region. It also contains stunning examples of Provençal Romanesque art such as in the cloisters of Saint-Trophime. Today, these ruins stand as a testament to the grandeur of Roman civilisation. Arles draws visitors from around the globe who come here to witness the enduring legacy of Rome in southern France.
Arles also has a very strong connection to Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh. It’s not possible to walk two steps in the city without seeing his name peeking from a street sign, in a tourist brochure, or a gift shop. The Dutch painter lived here for 18 months. The city of Arles was the inspiration behind some of Van Gogh’s most famous works. In fact, the kernel for the famous Van Gogh yellow might have been sown right here, during his stay in sunny Arles. Van Gogh immortalised Arles in paintings such as Le café de nuit (The Night Café) La maison jaune (The Yellow House), and the famous La nuit étoilée (Starry Night Over the Rhône).
For more French places made famous by artists, read the article on Monet’s house and garden in Giverny or take a virtual walk in Les Jardins d’Étretat.
Les Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles: The event and the settings
As I mentioned above, the Arles photo festival takes place across various exceptional sites in the city. In the 2024 edition, the festival hosted about 40 exhibitions across 35 venues all over Arles. Some stand-out exhibitions for me this year were Mo Yi: Me in my Landscape, All in the name of the name: The sensitive surfaces of graffiti, Christina de Middle: Journey to the Centre, Mary Ellen Mark: Encounters, I am so happy you are here: Japanese women photographers and Everyday Baroque by Rajesh Vohra.
The venues for the exhibitions for Les Rencontres too are spectacular in their own right. These places run the gamut from modern spaces with an industrial edge, to old monuments which have withstood the test of time. All the venue adding their own unique twist to the stories that the photographs have to tell. I mean, imagine having an entire exhibition on vampires in an old cathedral! Though there are many unexpected places for the Arles photo festival, here are a few that I especially enjoyed visiting:
l’Église des Frères Prêcheurs
L’Église des Frères Prêcheurs is a 13th-century Gothic church. It stands out for its austere architecture and historical resilience, having survived the French Revolution’s upheaval. This church made a compelling setting for an exhibition that tackled the quiet horrors of a serious subject like migration.
LUMA Foundation
The building of the LUMA Foundation in Arles is hard to miss. Designed by Frank Gehry, the LUMA tower is a contemporary masterpiece. The impressive building rises and glitters above the Provençal landscape of the city. The building is as interesting inside as it is outside. It hosts a variety of art exhibitions, installations as well as events. The foundation seeks to further the dialogue between creativity, art and society.
Le Cloître Saint-Trophime
Le Cloître Saint-Trophime is a Romanesque masterpiece. The serene cloister is an oasis of calm with a courtyard encircled by columns with saints and biblical scenes carved on them. Tall trees jut out from the courtyard, providing a unique setting for contemporary photographers to showcase their art.
Roman cryptoporticus of Arles
These are the underground foundation of the Roman city. These date back to the Roman colony founded in Arles in 46 BC.
Espace Van Gogh (Hôtel-Dieu)
Espace Van Gogh, once a hospital, is now a vibrant cultural centre. Interestingly, its current name reflects its link with its most famous patient, Vincent Van Gogh. He received medical treatment here. In fact, the painter immortalised the hospital’s tranquil gardens, bursting with sunflowers and lavender, in his painting. Today, the space has been restored in the spirit of his paintings. It blends history and artistry in the heart of Arles.
Monoprix, Arles
Yes, the department store Monoprix too is one of the venues for Les Rencontres d’Arles. I felt that this venue truly symbolised the enmeshment of the photo festival in the everyday fabric of the city. Walking across the snack and drinks aisles of a supermarket to find a somewhat hidden entryway that led to a collection of brilliant exhibitions, is an experience I would recommend everyone to try!
Practical Information
Getting around Arles
Within Arles, all the venues for the photo exhibition lie very close to each other. It is easy to walk from one exhibition to the next.
Note that some of the venue of at Les Rencontres might be closed on weekends. So do check their timings.
Other logistical information
Dates: The Arles photography festival takes place from July 1 to September 29 each year.
Ticket Prices: You can get either a ticket for a day, or for each venue separately. You can also buy a ticket that gives you full access to all the exhibitions throughout the summer, for €40. Since I spent a whole weekend, I opted for the latter and found it extremely good value for the price.
You can also get full access to the exhibition catalogue from September for €70. Find all the information on the website for the Arles photo festival linked below.
Website: Les Rencontres d’Arles
