Les Rencontres d’Arles in the south of France is one of the longest-running photo festivals in the world, and quite possibly the most important. Every year since 1970, the world of photography comes together in this charming hot summer town to discover and celebrate some of the best contemporary photography from cultures around the globe. It seems as if there are photo exhibitions (and photographers) in every corner of Arles. The work is inspiring, educational, and often interconnected in magical ways.
With a bit of dramatic flair, the festival director, Christoph Wiesner, introduces this year’s theme, Beneath the Surface:
“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 reveal their visions and stories, not least that of our humanity, by turns thwarted, in endless redefinition, resilient, but also visionary.”
This year’s 50+ exhibitions look especially interesting, and we’ve selected preview picks from about 40 of them for the readers of LensCulture. We hope you enjoy them.
