Rencontres d'Arles 2019: 50th Edition Celebrates Photography's Past and Future

The Rencontres de la Photographie in Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage site, celebrated its 50th edition in 2019 under the direction of Parisian curator Sam Stourdzé. Founded in 1970 by photographer Lucien Clergue, historian Jean-Maurice Rouquette, and writer Michel Tournier, the festival has long been a hub for photography, intellectual exchange, and editorial production. A pivotal moment came in 1974 when Ansel Adams accepted Clergue's invitation to teach a master class, propelling the event to international prominence. Notable past participants include Jacques Henri Lartigue, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gisèle Freund, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Luigi Ghirri, and Gabriele Basilico. The 50th edition featured a dense program of exhibitions, presentations, and performances reflecting on the festival's history while embracing contemporary and digital image-making. Highlights included a major exhibition on Germaine Krull and installation-based works by Camille Fallet and Yann Pocreau exploring space and light. Satellite events took place in nearby cities: Avignon hosted a Vik Muniz show at Collection Lambert, Marseille featured Jean-Louis Garnell at the Centre Photographique, and Toulon presented a marine-themed exhibition by Raymond Depardon at the Musée de la Marine. A special book exhibition curated by Martin Parr showcased 50 books, one for each year since 1970, produced by Fondation Luma, Rencontres d'Arles, and Tate Modern. The festival ran from July 1 to September 22, 2019.