ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Arles Photography Festival Examines Two Centuries of Animal Imagery

exhibition · 2026-07-09

The Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles presents 'Modèle animal', an exhibition spanning two centuries of animal photography. Organized into seven chapters, the show traces how humans have observed, classified, domesticated, loved, exploited, and defended animals through the lens. Curators deliberately avoid both sentimental clichés and heroic portrayals of the genre. The exhibition offers a critical history of the human-animal relationship as mediated by photography.

Key facts

  • Exhibition titled 'Modèle animal' at Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles
  • Covers two centuries of animal photography
  • Organized into seven chapters
  • Examines human-animal relationship through photography
  • Avoids sentimental clichés and heroic portrayals
  • Traces themes of observation, classification, domestication, love, exploitation, and defense

Entities

Institutions

  • Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles
  • Le Monde

Locations

  • Arles
  • France

Sources