Rencontres d'Arles 2017: Photography Festival in Provence

The Rencontres d'Arles, one of the world's most historic photography festivals, runs from early July through summer in Arles, France. Founded in 1970 by photographer Lucien Clergue, writer Michel Tournier, and historian Jean-Maurice Rouquette, the festival attracts nearly one million visitors over three months. The 2017 edition features solo exhibitions of Joel Meyerowitz, Michael Wolf, Alex Majoli, Marie Bovo, and Masahisa Fukase, plus an installation by Roger Ballen. Group shows focus on Latin American vernacular photography and Iranian photography, including Solmaz Daryani's images of ecological disasters on the Iran-Iraq border. The Fondation Luma, initiated by collector Maja Hoffmann, presents a major Annie Leibovitz exhibition with archival shots of Mick Jagger, Jack Nicholson, and Allen Ginsberg, alongside student movements from Berkeley. The foundation is also building a future Maison de la Photographie designed by Frank Gehry. The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation, housed in a historic palace, shows documentary photography and film. The festival closes with a special event featuring filmmaker Agnès Varda and street artist JR, presenting a short film on street art.