Saying that the summer of 2022 will be one of revelations seems almost like stating the obvious. How can we be made to see what is staring us in the face, but takes so long to appear, as if the revelation could only be a forced birth? Photography, photographers and artists who use the medium are there to remind us of what we want to neither hear nor see. Yet, as Emanuele Coccia recalls, “it is to the visible, to images, that man turns for a radical testimony of his own being, his own nature”.
Every summer, the Rencontres d’Arles seizes a condition, demands, criticizes, rebels against established standards and categories and shakes up the way we look at things from one continent to another, reminding us of our absolute need to exist.
Photography captures our existence in all its aspects, but it has not always mirrored the incredible richness and diversity of the artists. A long process of recognizing women photographers has been underway for about 40 years. Continuing the festival’s commitment, this year many venues will host shows reflecting their influence and creativity, from historic figures to forgotten or poorly known artists and today’s emerging young talents.
