This year's addition of Les Rencontres d'Arles shows a strong commitment to improving gender representation in photography. Known as one of the most influential photography festivals, Les Rencontres d'Arles provides a platform for photographers to showcase their work. In recent years, the festival has focused on amplifying the voices of women photographers.
Historically, photography has been a male-dominated field. Women photographers have often struggled to gain visibility and institutional support. Les Rencontres d'Arles, being one of the most prestigious festivals in the world, was no exception. However, in 2018, a revelation about the gender disparity at the festival sparked an important conversation about the representation of women in photography.
In 2018, only 34% of the featured photographers at Rencontres d'Arles were women. This was a wake-up call for the festival and the photography community. Many professionals and photography enthusiasts criticized the event for its gender imbalance. This controversy highlighted the broader issue of gender inequality in the arts. Women photographers had not been given enough attention or support in such major festivals.
This revelation forced Rencontres d'Arles to take a hard look at how it selects artists for the festival. The criticism was necessary to ensure that the festival would not continue to overlook women photographers in the future. This incident became a catalyst for change, and the festival began to work towards creating a more inclusive environment for all photographers.
Since the 2018 controversy, Les Rencontres d'Arles has taken steps to improve gender representation. One major milestone came in 2022, when more than 50% of the photographers featured were women. This was the first time in the festival's history that women photographers made up more than half of the participants. This shift was an important step in correcting the historical imbalance.
A key factor in this progress has been a partnership with the Kering Group. This collaboration has been vital in supporting women photographers. Through this partnership, Les Rencontres d'Arles has been able to fund awards and initiatives aimed at elevating the work of women photographers. Since partnering with Rencontres d'Arles in 2019, Kering has awarded the Women in Motion award as part of their larger initiative which has this year been presented to Nan Goldin.
As we look at Les Rencontres d'Arles 2025, it is clear that women photographers are being given more space and recognition. The 2025 edition will feature a diverse range of women photographers who are making significant contributions to the art of photography. This shift is not just about numbers. It's about giving women the opportunity to showcase their work on the world stage.
Several talented women photographers are featured at Les Rencontres d'Arles 2025, each bringing unique perspectives to the festival. Their work is be celebrated not only for its artistic value but also for its ability to address important social and cultural issues. Here are some of the women being highlighted this year.
Claudia Andujar's exhibition "In the Place of the Other" at Les Rencontres d'Arles 2025 focuses on her early work from the 1960s and 1970s in Brazil. The exhibition, hosted at Maison des Peintres (7 July - 5 October), unveils a period often overlooked in her career.
Andujar, born in Switzerland in 1931, moved to Brazil in the 1950s. Her early projects like Brazilian Families (1962-64) and editorial work for Realidade magazine (1966-71) captured Brazilian society's complexities. She also explored themes of womanhood in A Sônia (1971) and offered a unique perspective on urban life in Rua Direita (circa 1970).
While she is best known for her work with the Yanomami people, this exhibition highlights Andujar's earlier creative evolution. It provides a rare opportunity to explore her rich visual legacy and social consciousness before her groundbreaking Amazonian work.
Heba Khalifa's photographic project Tiger's Eye is presented as part of the 2025 Discovery Award Louis Roederer Foundation at Les Rencontres d'Arles (7 July - 5 October). Set against the backdrop of Cairo during Khalifa's childhood, the project delves into the trauma of sexual abuse and gender-based violence. Through experimental visuals, Khalifa revisits memories by reworking images from her family album, using photomontage and journaling.
The project reinterprets the term "tiger's eye," a phrase used in Arab societies to describe a defiant female gaze, as a symbol of empowerment. Khalifa uses her work as a form of symbolic reparations, reclaiming her body and challenging patriarchal structures. By exploring childhood and its painful associations with family and religion, her work offers a powerful commentary on gender indoctrination. Ultimately, Khalifa's art seeks to shift the narrative, allowing women's active role in shaping Cairo's society to be redefined.
Nan Goldin's Stendhal Syndrome (2024) has been presented at Les Rencontres d'Arles as part of the 2025 Kering Women in Motion Award. The slideshow juxtaposes Goldin's portraits of friends and lovers with Classical, Renaissance, and Baroque masterpieces captured during her visits to museums like the Louvre and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In this powerful piece, she blends her voice with a stirring soundtrack by Mica Levi and Soundwalk Collective, creating an immersive experience. The piece draws on Ovid's Metamorphoses, casting close friends and lovers as mythological figures such as Galatea, Orpheus, and Hermaphrodite. By merging the historical with the personal, Goldin asserts that her community, often marginalized, deserves a place in the cultural canon.
Stendhal Syndrome culminates in a reimagining of Stendhal's famous collapse before beauty, offering an intimate and thought-provoking reflection on love, art, and the human connection.
The 2018 controversy was a necessary catalyst for change, but it should not be seen as the end of the conversation. Gender equality is an ongoing challenge in the photography world today, and the festival must continue to evolve to ensure that all voices are heard and represented.
Looking beyond 2025, it is essential that Les Rencontres d'Arles and other prestigious festivals remain committed to making room for underrepresented voices in the arts. Women photographers, especially those from marginalized communities, must continue to be given the visibility they deserve. Only then can we ensure that the photography world reflects the diversity and richness of the stories it seeks to tell.
Visit Les Rencontres d'Arles and Kering Group's official website to read more.
