Get Ready For Arles

The 33rd Les Rencontres d'Arles festival undergoes a facelift this year, doing away with themes and introducing an "open" approach to photography that calls on top photographers, artists, museum directors to curate and develop the shows.

FranÇois HÉbel, former head of Magnum in Paris and former head of Corbis's European business, returns as the new director of the festival. HÉbel was director from 1986 to 1987. He says: "We want to create a forum that is wide open to all points of view, to go further with the approach that made the Arles Festival such a success in the first place by knocking down the conceptual walls that separate photography into separate fields and compartmentalize the public."

The festival kicks off July 6 to 14, with exhibitions running till July 31. Highlights include the first ever retrospective of Josef Koudelka, produced by longtime friend and publisher Robert Delpire, and including unseen work. There will be 30 exhibitions on portaiture, fashion, news and documentary, as well as workshops and seminars. A range of top photographers, gallery figures and curators will contribute to the content of the exhibitions. For example, Magnum's Martin Parr will "act as a collector" and show a collection of postcards.

Another first for the festival is the introduction of seven prizes recognizing talent in a range of genres. Contact info@corporart.com for more information.