This Photo Exhibition is a Must-See

18 08 2021 | 09:58Claude Grunitzky

Although last year’s edition was cancelled because of the pandemic, the Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles returned this year with a series of groundbreaking exhibitions. One of the world’s most established photo festivals, which runs from early July to late September, the Rencontres takes place in Arles, the city in Provence that is famed for inspiring many Van Gogh paintings.

A highlight of the 2021 edition is an exhibition curated by Antwaun Sargent, a director at Gagosian Gallery who is also emerging as one of the most influential curators of his generation.

The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion examines Black identity in photography. It is billed as presenting “artists whose vibrant portraits and conceptual images fuse the genres of art and fashion photography in ways that break down long-established boundaries.”

The exhibition, which was previously presented in the United States, Australia and Qatar, showcases the work of young photographers from a variety of countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Guinea, South Africa, the UK, and the US. Tyler Mitchell made history in 2018 when he shot Beyoncé for the cover of US Vogue, a first for a Black photographer. He is featured, alongside other TRUE Africa favorites including Campbell Addy, Awol Erizku, Nadine Ijewere, Ruth Ossai, and Namsa Leuba.