Beyond the Frame 63/

A postcard from Les Rencontres d’Arles photography festival.

Jul 13, 2025

I’m coming to the end of the opening week of the Rencontres de la Photographie, an annual festival of photography in the south of France.

The theme for this year’s festival is Disobedient Images.

“While the world is shaken by rising nationalism, nihilism and environmental crises, the photographic perspectives presented offer a crucial counterpoint to the prevailing discourse, celebrating the diversity of cultures, genders and origins.”

It’s been such a pleasure to be deeply immersed in photography for a week.

Photography is on every street in Arles. Every other store is a gallery. Workshops take place in medieval buildings, and cafes and restaurants host portfolio reviews. The number of exhibitions seems countless. One of my favourites was held in the space above a supermarket and there’s even an exhibition of photography in the city’s subterranean catacombs.

Here’s a collection of images I made this week, a multi-image postcard to share a flavour of Arles.

Welcome to Arles

Photography welcomes you as soon as you step off the train. Walking along the bank of the river Rhone towards the city centre, one is greeted by dozens of giant celebrity portraits.

Billowing in the breeze, a curious Mads Mikkelsen and an uncompromising Frida Kahlo.

One need not walk far in Arles to find an exhibition of photography.

Above the Jardin D’été, Tizian Machtolf’s translucent images are backlit, the silhouettes of trees lending a new layer to the images.

On Rue de la Calade, polaroid-sized prints have been cemented into the wall.

One lively part of the festival is the Book Fair, which hosts dozens of book publishers, large and small.

It’s virtually impossible to keep track of the carousel of author signings, so I was pleased to bump into Nata Drachinskaya on the street.

Nata won the prestigious Luma Rencontres Dummy Book Award for her previously unpublished book, Binom. I was delighted to receive one of her limited edition, hand-made, hand-stitched, dummy versions of Binom.

A common sight in Arles, visitors looking at the event map and trying to decide which exhibition to visit next.

Photo Events

Arles isn’t just a passive viewing experience, there are dozens of workshops, portfolio reviews, and interactive interviews.

It’s a place where friends and colleagues reunite. The photographic community is a warm and friendly tribe.

All around the city, you’ll encounter groups of people gathered for impromptu discussions, sharing stories and reviewing each other’s work.

Photography Exhibitions

Many of my most memorable experiences at Arles this week have been the result of a happy accident, like catching the exhibits inside the Palais de l’Archevêché just as the late afternoon light was at its most appealing.

The medieval architecture of the Chapelle Saint-Martin Du Méjan provides a unique setting for an exhibition of the work of Letizia Battaglia.

“Battaglia started out in the late 1960s in Palermo and Milan, producing magazine features that documented the changing social mores, notably sexual, in Italy at the time.”

Refer a friend

I didn’t succeed in compiling a list of my Top Ten Favourite Photographs from Arles but if I had, this Afonso Pimenta photograph from 1988 would certainly have made an appearance.

“DJ Mirim and his moves” by Afonso Pimenta

The list of exhibitions is far too numerous to adequately summarise. Arles really has lived up to its claim of showcasing a wide and diverse range of subjects.

Photography Book Fair and Author Signings

As the groaning bookshelves at home can testify, I’ve become a keen collector of photography books, especially those produced by independent publishers or, better still, a photographer’s self-published labour of love.

The various Book Fair venues around the city were a treasure trove of fascinating photo books. I was uncharacteristically restrained and will leave Arles with just three new additions. I’ll review them in the next newsletter.

Around Arles

It has been an inspiring week. The exhibitions have been marvellous, the events I attended were thought-provoking.

I’ve had numerous chance encounters and made new connections. I didn’t come to Arles for the food and wine but if I had, I would not have been disappointed. And I managed to find a few moments here and there to pick up a camera and capture some of Arles’ beautiful light.

Arles: a wealth of photography, friends old and new, fine dining, and never-ending sunshine. I’m pretty sure that’s close to being the perfect recipe.