Charlotte Yonga's Portraits of Madagascar's Gen Z at Rencontres d'Arles
In Madagascar, photographer Charlotte Yonga's portraits of the island's Gen Z capture a generation caught between desire for freedom and attachment to tradition. Taken in 2024, a year before this youth led a protest movement that toppled the government in 2025, the images show young people posing in intimate settings, without future prospects. Yonga, a Franco-Cameroonian artist, pairs these portraits with lush landscapes. The series is currently featured this summer at the Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles, as part of Le Monde's summer series 'Youth in Hostile Environments' (episode 6/7).
Key facts
- The photo series is part of Le Monde's summer series 'Jeunesse en milieux hostiles' (6/7).
- In Madagascar, the Gen Z led a protest movement that in 2025 brought down the ruling power.
- The portraits were taken in 2024, one year before the protests.
- Photographer Charlotte Yonga is Franco-Cameroonian.
- The photographs depict young people in their intimacy, without future prospects.
- The portraits are set in dialogue with lush landscapes.
- The work was exhibited in summer 2026 at the Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles.
- The article was published by Le Monde on August 19, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Charlotte Yonga
Institutions
- Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles
Locations
- Madagascar
- Arles
- France