Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles Travel Diary

Photo: Lisa Di Fruscia

August 4 to 12, 2026

Lisa Di Fruscia

LES RENCONTRES DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE D’ARLES

Photo: Lisa Di Fruscia

Arles, located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France, is not only famous for its exceptionally well-preserved Roman ruins, but also for having captivated Vincent van Gogh’s imagination and inspired some of his most iconic works.

Since 1970, Arles has also been home to Les Rencontres de la photographie, a three-month international photography festival. This year, the festival brought together more than 160 artists and presented over 48 exhibitions across 28 venues spread throughout the city.

From retrospectives to collective exhibitions, the festival presents a vast and varied landscape of photographic voices. Intimate personal narratives sit alongside photojournalism and documentary work, while environmental concerns and political perspectives add further depth and diversity.

More than 20 curators brought these distinct perspectives together.

See https://www.rencontres-arles.com/en for more information.

Photo: Lisa Di Fruscia

2. LEE SHULMAN AND OMAR VICTOR DIOP, THE ANONYMOUS PROJECT – BEING THERE

Les Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles 2026

Installation view: Lisa Di Fruscia

Upon entering the Ancien Collège Mistral, an abandoned space repurposed for Les Rencontres de la photographie, you are greeted by a large portrait of what reads as a 1950s nuclear family on summer vacation. Its vintage colouring and the subjects’ styling evoke a nostalgia that harkens back to a time of post-war prosperity and optimism in the West.

Rounding the corner, you enter what feels like a mid-century family home, with photographs adorning the walls of fully furnished living and dining rooms.
The photographs appear plucked from a family album, nothing seeming out of the ordinary, except for the same Black man appearing in every image. Through his posture, styling and positioning, the man fits seamlessly into each photograph, yet something tells us that it is not quite right.

By repurposing vintage photographs and using green screens and other technologies to reinsert Diop into these images, Shulman and Diop “turn his presence into both a disruption and a quiet act of defiance” (Taous Dahmani).

The results are playful and unexpected, while underscoring the historical inequalities and racist attitudes we have inherited over time, and which still prevail today.

Installation view: Lisa Di Fruscia

3. MARTINE BARRAT, SOUL OF THE CITY

Les Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles 2026

Installation view: Lisa Di Fruscia

In 1968, photographer and filmmaker Martine Barrat moved from Paris to New York City, immersing herself in the boroughs of Harlem and the South Bronx. Her goal was not to document the lives of the people, but rather to work collaboratively with residents, both young and old, giving them the tools to tell their own stories.

Providing her co-creators with cameras, video equipment and basic operating instructions, Barrat allowed them to use their voices to teach her in return.

Later, Barrat went on to document youth boxing clubs in New York City’s marginalized communities, and portray the residents of Harlem, with whom she had become close friends.

“Never moralizing, she is an integral part of the neighborhoods she photographs. She knows that, despite the harshness of their environment, the residents continue to live and love, and that it is her responsibility to photograph them with respect and commitment.” (Agathe Cancellieri)

“My camera is an extension of my heart.” (Barrat, 2026)

Installation view: Lisa Di Fruscia

4. BRUNO BOUDJELAL, GOUDRON, TANGIER-CAPE TOWN

Les Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles

Installation view: Lisa Di Fruscia

Boudjelal embarked on a voyage across Africa, roaming its roads in search of the people who live there, and driven by a sense that his personal history extended into the continent.

First inspired by his wife, who took him to Gabon and the places of her childhood in 2003, Boudjelal felt these places exuded a vibrant energy that was chaotic, yet teeming with life.

Travelling by road, his journey was slow and deliberate, allowing him to connect more deeply with those he encountered.

Made along the asphalt (goudron) roads stretching from Morocco to South Africa, Boudjelal’s photographs capture an intangible spirit that extends beyond the personal, inviting us into a transpersonal experience, that is, an intangible, yet powerful connection with the other.

“For me, the artistic experience is spiritual. This spirituality is palpable, tangible in Africa. It reveals itself to the eye and the soul in all its essence. The encounter between the external and our internal worlds gives rise to images that I call impressions and improvisations.” (Boudjelal, 2026)

Installation view: Lisa Di Fruscia

In advance of her upcoming presentation on November 5 at the Gallery, take the time to discover the travel journal of Lisa Di Fruscia, recipient of the 2026 Ann Duncan Award. Follow her journey on our Instagram, where we will share highlights from her trip to the Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles, including artists who left a lasting impression, each week throughout October. In parallel, the Gallery will publish Di Fruscia’s writing and complete travel documentation on its website.

Lisa Di Fruscia is a third-year undergraduate photography student at Concordia University and the recipient of the 2026 Ann Duncan Travel Award. Last August, she travelled to France to attend the 57th edition of the Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles, visiting a wide range of exhibitions throughout the city.

The Ann Duncan Award is an undergraduate international travel and tuition award given every two years alternating between Studio Arts and Art History students. The 2026-2027 prize is open to students in Studio Arts.

ARTIST TALK: LISA DI FRUSCIA

Thursday, November 5, 6:30 PM

In the Gallery
Free, in English

Facebook event

Join Lisa Di Fruscia, recipient of the 2026 Ann Duncan Travel Award for a presentation about her recent trip to Les Rencontres d’Arles and how it is informing her photography practice.