Martine Barrat, Love before going to the Rhythm Club, she would make sure her makeup was together, Harlem, 1996 Courtesy of the artist and La Galerie Rouge.

“As everything pushes toward simplification, division and reduction, the 57th edition of the Rencontres d’Arles creates a space for complexity and attentiveness—not to artificially soften the violence of reality, but to bring out its depth, and to face a sometimes unsettling world while continuing to find beauty, connection and freedom in it. Photography has a rare ability to chart new paths. As an essential medium, it shows what goes unnoticed, what endures, what circulates, what is passed on and what connects. By bringing together history and more intimate narratives, photography makes it possible to see the world differently,” says Christoph Wiesner, Director of the Rencontres d’Arles.

The 57th edition of the Rencontres d’Arles, Worlds In View, offers narratives rooted in various regions of the world, including the African continent and the Mediterranean. Spanning archives, major monographic exhibitions and emerging scenes, the images examine identities, stories and representations, whilst others explore the myriad facets of life. The programme highlights what endures, what changes and what connects us, and opens up spaces of freedom and empowerment, inviting us to look at the world with greater intensity.

To find out more about this year’s festival and view the full programme of events please go to the direct link.