T he 42nd edition of the Les Rencontres d’Arles photo festival kicked off on July 4 in the south of France, where 47 exhibitions will be shown throughout 23 locations, including old churches and factories. “I try to offer a very different program every year, after 30 years working with photographers,” says François Hébel, director of the annual photography festival. “Opposed to a museum that studies the career of a photographer, we show more fragile works [and] new aesthetics in photography.”
This year’s festival will spotlight Mexico with contemporary images from the nation’s capital as well as rare photographs from the Mexican Revolution, pulled together under an umbrella Republic exhibition. Here, the festival will present The Mexican Suitcase, a set of Spanish Civil War images shot by Robert Capa, Chim (David Seymour) and Gerda Taro recently rediscovered in 2007.
Other highlights from this year’s event include a Chris Marker retrospective, which features more than 300 works by the French photographer and filmmaker. His famous Koreans — a collection of images of North Korean life from Marker’s trip to the country in 1957 — will be on display along with video and installation pieces. From Here On, curated by Martin Parr, Joan Fontcuberta, Erik Kessels, Joachim Schmidt and Clement Cheroux, will examine digital photography and the influence of the internet on the art form.
—Reporting by Feifei Sun
Exhibitions from Les Rencontres d’Arles are on display through September 18.
Dulce Pinzon
From the series "The true story of super-heroes"
José Rosendo de Jesus, from the State of Guerrero works as a union organizer in New York.
He sends 700 dollars a month. Courtesy Dulce Pinzon Christophe Agou
Untitled, from the series "Facing Silence" (2002-2010). Courtesy Christophe Agou Augustin Rebetez
From the series "Everything that looks angry but doesn't raise its voice," 2010. Courtesy Augustin Rebetez Josè Ramûn Bas
Ndar, 2008 Courtesy Josè Ramûn Bas Françoise Beauguion
Prizewinner SFR Young Photo Talent/Rencontres d'Arles 2011. From the series "Face to Face", 2010. Courtesy Françoise Beauguion Daniela Rossell
Untitled (Ricas y Famosas) Medusa, 1999
C-print
30"x 40" Courtesy Greene Naftali Gallery, New York Claire Delfino
Prizewinner SFR Young Photo Talent/Rencontres d'Arles 2011. From the series "Plis du sommeil", 2008-11. Courtesy Claire Delfino Domingo Milella
Cuantepec, at night, Mexico City, 2004.
Courtesy Brancolini Grimaldi Arte Contemporanea Antonin Kratochvil / VII
A street scene in Umm Qasr, a large port in Al Basra Governorate, southern Iraq, April 12, 2003. Courtesy Antonin Kratochvil—VII Douglas Gordon
24 Hour Psycho Back and Forth and To and Fro, 2008. Video Installation, Installation View Tramway, Glasgow, 2010.
Photo Studio lost but found (Frederik Pedersen) Courtesy Douglas Gordon Aurélie Durand
Prizewinner SFR Young Photo Talent/Rencontres d'Arles 2011. From the series "Tourism", 2007-11. Courtesy Aurélie Durand Lynne Cohen
"Untitled (Astroturf)," 2005
Courtesy In Situ / Fabienne Leclerc Gallery, Paris Enrique Metinides
Untitled
Torreo Stadium, Mexico City, 1971.
"I wanted to know what death was like," admitted 45-year old Antonio N. after two rescue workers persuaded him not to jump.
Courtesy Enrique Metinides Enrique Metinides
Untitled
Regis Hotel, Centro Historico, Mexico City, 1985.
After the earthquake of September 19, 1985. Courtesy Enrique Metinides Fernando Montiel Klint
Acts of Faith
From the series "Acts of Faith"
2009 Courtesy Fernando Montiel Klint Fernando Montiel Klint
Artist in the Studio
From the series "Nirvana"
2008 Courtesy Fernando Montiel Klint Manuel Alvarez Bravo
Gabriel Figueroa checking the light readings for Sonatas, directed by Juan Antonio Bardem, 1959.
Televisa Foundation Collection, Film Division. Courtesy Manuel Alvarez Bravo Julie Fischer
Untitled, Finland, 2010. Courtesy Julie Fischer Graciela Iturbide
Jano, Ocumichu, Michoacan, Mexico, 1980
Gelatin silver print
Colecciones Fundaciun MAPFRE
2011 Courtesy Graciela Iturbide Nicolas Guilbert
Abbaye de Montmajour, 2011. Courtesy Nicolas Guilbert Marin Hock
From the series "D'une tristesse à l'autre", 2008 Courtesy Marin Hock Maya Goded
Welcome to Lipstick.
December 2009.
Border of Mexico-USA - zone of prostitution. Courtesy Maya Goded Maya Goded
Welcome to Lipstick.
December 2009.
Border of Mexico-USA - zone of prostitution. Courtest Maya Goded Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse
Lift Portrait 3
Ponte City, Johannesburg, 2008. Courtesy Mikhael Subotzky, Patrick Waterhouse and Goodman Gallery Mishka Henner
NATO Storage Annex, Coevorden, 2011 Courtesy Mishka Henner Penelope Umbrico
8,799,661 Suns From Flickr (Partial) 3/8/11
2011
Courtesy Penelope Umbrico Penelope Umbrico
Sideways TVs (Craigslist/Gumtree), 2010-11
Courtesy Penelope Umbrico Michel Marizi
Paris Match director Roger Thérond in his office with the photos for the magazine's 50th anniversary album. Courtesy Michel Marizi Pierre Toussaint
From the series "Metronome", 2011. Courtesy Pierre Toussaint Cy Twombly
Tree-peony, Bassano in Teverina, 1980. Courtesy Cy Twombly Gerda Taro
Spectators at the funeral parade of General Lukacs, Valencia, June 16, 1937
Negative
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