When I heard that a photo of mine will be exhibited in Arles alongside Les Rencontres d’Arles, the annual international photography festival, I was ecstatic. I immediately answered the call of opportunity to check out our group exhibition, visit the festival and experience beautiful Arles at the same time.
It was my first proper trip since the pandemic started in early 2020. And it marked the end of the longest period of staying put in one place in my life. Everything felt so new and exciting, and at the same time, it felt like getting back on a bike again. Something you never unlearn.
The initial plan was that my sister and brother-in-law would join me, but that fell through and I had to make the decision if I would go solo. The pandemic and the general uncertainty in the world heightened my anxiety, yet the lockdown fatigue and increased need for creative stimulation were higher than ever and topped any of my worries.
The getting-there part was exhausting tbh. It took two flights, a bus, tram, and train ride to get to Arles. All the while having a face mask on, of course. Since I booked at the very last minute, the good accommodations were gone. I found a budget hotel, which was a 20-minute walk away from the city center. Unfortunately that 20 minutes in Arles felt more like 40 minutes. A bike rental was a must - and easy to take care of!
Now that I have put the harsh realities behind me, let’s get to the good parts. In fact, the great parts. First of all: Arles is a cornucopia of aesthetic impressions. The architecture is textbook Provence like we know from movies or see in Van Gogh paintings. The overall style is bohème and comfortable, yet also super chic and sophisticated. The historic and UNESCO-protected buildings like Arènes d'Arles (a Roman amphitheater) from 90 AD add to the flair and round up the wholesome visual experience.
The garden in L'espace Van Gogh.
Arles is located along the Rhône River in the Provence region of southern France. It is called the cultural capital of France. This reputation dates back to the Roman Empire and is still holding its position. And Arles is a cultural hotspot, indeed. It is not only home to the well-known photography festival every year, but also to the French national school of photography and also the major French publishing house Actes Sud. In addition, several renowned cultural organizations chose Arles to set up presence, such as the LUMA Foundation, the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles, the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation, or the Lee Ufan Foundation. On top of that, there are countless galleries scattered throughout the city.
Many of the historic monuments of the city are the backdrop to the exhibitions at Les Rencontres d’Arles, which runs until September 26, 2021. I have never seen anything like this. It is art on top of art. The historic buildings add a specific significance to the presented projects. And the exhibitions themselves in this year’s program are superb. From the New Black Vanguard, Africa State of Mind, Thawra! Revolution!, Rethink Everything to works of Sabine Weiss, Pieter Hugo, Anton Kusters, and many more, I was in constant awe. I visited as many exhibitions as I could. Seeing incredible photographic work after a very challenging year, I felt inspired, hopeful and motivated. I also listened to a couple of talks in the welcome center of the festival, including “When photography shapes and unshapes identity” with photographer Liz Johnson Artur, curators Ekow Eshun and Alona Pardo. The common theme was masculinity and settled identities through society and image-makers. I found the sincerity and authenticity of Artur the most refreshing, and in some parts thought-provoking. “I don’t walk around thinking of myself as a black person walking in a white man’s world. […] If you’re lucky, it [to view the world in black and white] is boring. If you’re unlucky, it can become dangerous.”, she said. She also mentioned that she didn’t bother to show her work for the first 20 years of her career because the world wasn’t ready yet. Another day I joined the curator’s tour by Autwaun Sargent, whose exhibition “New Black Vanguard” is a must-see. It shows a beautiful collection of photographs of POC models by POC photographers, creating a new dawn of image-making in the fashion and art world.
While running around from show to show, I stopped frequently at one restaurant for lunches and sometimes even dinner: Café Factory République. I do have to give them a shoutout because the manager took real good care of me. He offered great service and was very nice to each of his patrons. He made sure that everybody felt welcome in his restaurant and generally in Arles.
The great part about traveling to places solo is to meet fellow travelers and visitors. So it happened that I made great connections while waiting in queue for the theater, or checking out an exhibition. From fellow photographers to editors, publishers, professors, and gallery owners, the commonality - the photography festival - made it easy to connect.
All in all I stayed in Arles for four days and it was absolutely worth it! And not just because I had my picture exhibited there, too.
Until next time. Au revoir!
