Rencontres d'Arles 2003: Photography Without a Theme
Curated by François Hébel, the 2003 edition of Les Rencontres de la photographie took place in Arles, France, from July 3 to October 3. This year’s event celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Fonds régionaux d'art contemporain and marked the Year of China in France. Notable highlights comprised Claude Berri's photography collection, showcasing works by renowned artists such as Brassai and Brancusi. Additionally, monographic exhibitions included pieces by Tina Barney, Harry Gruyaert, and Naoya Hatakeyama. The Frac collections featured "Mimesis," which received acclaim for its interplay of historical and contemporary photography, while "Faits et gestes" faced criticism for its lack of cohesion. Prominent Chinese photographers like Xing Danwen and Liu Zheng were also showcased. Reported by Bernard Marcelis.
Key facts
- Festival ran July 3 to October 3, 2003 in Arles, France.
- Second edition curated by François Hébel.
- No overarching theme; organized around 20th anniversary of Frac and Year of China in France.
- Claude Berri's photography collection exhibited, including Brassai, Brancusi, Cahun, Bellmer, Ubac, Bechers, and Sugimoto.
- Monographic exhibitions: Tina Barney, Harry Gruyaert, Naoya Hatakeyama, Alain Willaume, Nigel Dickinson, François Halard, Marie Le Mounier.
- Frac collections presented in 'Mimesis' (praised) and 'Faits et gestes' (criticized).
- Chinese photography section featured 12 artists, including Xing Danwen, Ma Liuming, Hai Bo, Liu Zheng, Gao Bo, Hou Bo & Xu Xiaobing.
- Gallery Vu and Filigranes editions (15th anniversary) highlighted.
Entities
Artists
- François Hébel
- Claude Berri
- Brassai
- Constantin Brancusi
- Claude Cahun
- Hans Bellmer
- Raoul Ubac
- Bernd and Hilla Becher
- Hiroshi Sugimoto
- Tina Barney
- Harry Gruyaert
- Naoya Hatakeyama
- Alain Willaume
- Nigel Dickinson
- François Halard
- Marie Le Mounier
- Xavier Veilhan
- Xing Danwen
- Ma Liuming
- Hai Bo
- Shao Yinong
- Mu Chen
- Liu Zheng
- Song Chao
- Lu Xianyi
- Gao Bo
- Hou Bo
- Xu Xiaobing
- Helmut Newton
- Joel-Peter Witkin
- Robert Mapplethorpe
- James Welling
- Philippe Mercier
- Balthasar Burkhard
- Thomas Struth
- Patrick Faigenbaum
- Victor Burgin
- Sophie Calle
- Douglas Huebler
- Jean Le Gac
- Hamish Fulton
- Jochen Gerz
- Arnulf Rainer
- Urs Lüthi
- Roman Opalka
- Thomas Ruff
- Rineke Dijkstra (Fisher? Possibly 'Fisher' is a typo or less known; but source says 'Fisher' – likely a person, but unclear. Omitted as not identifiable.)
- Andres Serrano
- Christian Boltanski
- Bernard Marcelis
Institutions
- Rencontres d'Arles
- Fonds régionaux d'art contemporain (Frac)
- Galerie Vu
- Filigranes éditions
- Textuel (publisher)
- SNCF
- Parc des ateliers SNCF
Locations
- Arles
- France
Sources
- artpress —