Les Rencontres de la Photographie
© Roberto Huarcaya
Text: Federica Belli
Birds are chirping above a pastel-coloured alley in the South of France, as I whisper complaining to myself about the weight of the A3 portfolio I printed for the most exciting photo festival in Europe. Who even still prints their portfolio, after all? Everyone ends up in Arles for the Rencontres according to their own agenda. Be it for discovering exciting emerging artists, be it for the photo book fair, be it to chug one too many pastis [N.d.R. a French anise liqueur made from water, star anise, licorice, herbs, sugar, and spices], be it for showing their work to the experts or to spend some summer days with those colleagues–friends you only meet in this occasion, everyone has an agenda. And, most importantly, everyone is there to enjoy themselves. For one week only, the photography industry gets completely overturned: the usual roles are completely forgotten, no social ladder exists anymore, and those you can only see wearing a suit all year round now boast a straw hat and a lime polo shirt. New social codes are invented, and suddenly all those usually unreachable professionals are believing in the meeting of kindred energy and the importance of being open to casual meetings. Curators, critics, and gallerists alike are feeding on portfolios and oysters, discussing the exhibitions distributed around the whole village. If it sounds like a dream, it probably is – especially to the eyes of young photographers and curators.
© Maciejka Art
For the first time though, this year I heard some complaints – complaints ranging from the lower quality of collateral events to the presence of fewer people than usual. And I did ponder a lot upon those complaints, I did evaluate each and every one of their points. In the end, however, I always come back to a consideration: these occasions are precious. The enthusiasm generated and the coming together of such a huge concentration of human energy and know-how thanks to and for the sake of photography is just… moving. Can we focus on the fact that once every year, a young person trying to understand more about the state of things and about her place in photography has the possibility to meet literally anyone she might look up to and ask questions? Can we discuss about the huge opportunity this platform is for any artist who gets to show her work during the festival? Les Rencontres de la Photographie – literally the meetings of photography – really is a place for meetings. And, especially in a time in which quite often a video call substitutes a group discussion, meetings like the ones possible in Arles are sacred.
© Charles Fréger
In a time in which photographing rarely is a way to capture moments anymore, becoming rather a medium that enables encounters and discussions, such a festival perfectly mirrors the evolving role of the photographic language. As every person has a camera on herself, every single day, we do need more and more occasions to discuss on the connections and disconnections this medium generates. Precisely for this reason – pardon me, detractors of the festival – the quality of a DJ set in the evening and the debatable food offering in the village somehow remain secondary to the empowerment this occasion gives to every member of the photographic community.
