57th Photography Festival – Arles (English Edition)

Catalogue of the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie, presented in Arles in 2026 (6 July – 4 October 2026).

Through some forty exhibitions staged in various heritage venues across the city, the Rencontres d’Arles has, every summer for over fifty years, helped to preserve and promote the world’s photographic heritage, whilst offering an overview of contemporary creative work centred on the image and the diversity of its themes and practices.

The 57th edition of the Rencontres d’Arles presents narratives rooted in different regions, notably the African continent and the Mediterranean. Spanning archives, major monographic exhibitions and emerging scenes, the images examine identities, histories and representations, whilst others explore the myriad facets of life. The programme reveals what endures, what transforms and what connects us, opening up spaces of freedom and emancipation, whilst inviting us to look at the world with greater intensity.

This catalogue brings together the portfolios from all the exhibitions and the programme of events for the opening week.

Year after year, the festival aims to shed light on a changing world. During the summer, the public is invited to discover nearly forty exhibitions in heritage sites, contemporary venues and even unexpected locations

The Rencontres d’Arles were founded in 1970 by the photographer Lucien Clergue, the writer Michel Tournier and the historian Jean-Maurice Rouquette. At the time, photography was regarded as a ‘minor’ art form. The festival played a major role in securing its institutional recognition and, over the years, has become a major cultural event.