More than just an exhibition of photography, Les Recontres d'Arles is a three month long photography festival, with seminars and workshops that takes over the city of Arles each summer.
This year's festival starts on 3rd July and runs until 24th September 2017 and highlights the work of photographers from Latin America to Iran.
Topics this year include "The Experience of the Territory", which focuses on new cities and towns and the culture and poetry found within them. Joel Meyerowitz's 'early works' captures 1960's New York street scenes. Dune Varela's landscape shots are printed on materials like glass, plaster or ceramics.
"Latina!" focuses predominantly on the work of a large group of south American artists, including a social study on the conflicting identity of the Latin-American people, portraits from Chile of people who artist Paz Errazuriz points out are typically ignored by society and a collection from Colombia representing the work of 28 different artists and photographers.
"Disorders of the World" takes a look at environmental and social issues as well as political upheavals and climatic events, of now and potentially in the future. One study by Mathieu Asselin delves into the effects of pollution, food safety and contamination by global food giant Monsanto.
"I am writing from a distant country" highlights the work of 62 Iranian photographers from a very traditional country celebrating 38 years of visual poetry and of a collective of artists from Madrid as well as from a number of photographers they've hand-picked to exhibit.
Throughout July and August, a packed programme of courses will be available to take part in, lead by many photographers who have exhibited in the Recontres d'Arles. During the opening week of the festival (3rd to 8th July) 'Photo Folio Review' offers amateur and professional photographers to have their work assessed.
Exhibitions are open every day from 10:00 to 19:30 with last admissions 30 minutes before closing.
You can buy a day pass, a pass for the week or passes for the full festival from Les Recontres d'Arles directly, or from a number of venues in Arles. Guided visits with a photographer are also available.
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