Organizer Information
Rencontres d'Arles is an international photography festival based in Arles, France. The festival presents exhibitions, projects, and programs focused on photography and the wider field of visual images. Through its curatorial research grant, Rencontres d'Arles supports the development of new exhibition projects and provides selected curators with funding for research and, subject to validation, subsequent production.
The Rencontres d'Arles Curatorial Research Fellowship 2027 is supported by Jean-François Dubos and is designed for curators developing a new project related to image or photography.
Title & Description
Curatorial Research Fellowship 2027
The Curatorial Research Fellowship 2027 provides a research and production grant of up to €20,000 for a new curatorial project related to photography or images. The selected curator first undertakes a six-month research phase to develop the proposed exhibition, including the selection of artists and works, rights research, and preparation of the exhibition concept.
The grant is divided into two stages: €5,000 is awarded to the curator as remuneration and copyright payment for the research phase, while up to €15,000 is allocated to production costs if the project is subsequently validated by Rencontres d'Arles.
Following the research period, the curator presents the developed project for artistic evaluation. If validated, the project enters a production and implementation phase supported by Rencontres d'Arles.
Categories
- Curatorial Practice
- Photography
- Visual Art
- Image-Based Art
- Exhibition Curation
Eligibility
The fellowship is open to all curators. Applications may be submitted by an individual curator, co-curators, or a collective.
Applicants should propose a new exhibition project related to image/photography. The application must include a biography covering the curator's training, previous curatorial projects and exhibitions, as well as relevant presentation and attendance/viewing information.
Application materials should be prepared in French or English, with both languages recommended.
Program Benefits & Awards
The selected project receives a grant of up to €20,000, divided as follows:
- €5,000 gross for the curator's research work, costs, and copyright.
- €15,000 for production and implementation, subject to validation after the research phase.
The production budget may cover artwork loans, transportation to and from Arles, printing and framing, wallpapers, video production, insurance, and related expenses. Rencontres d'Arles may also support the curator and participating artists during the festival's opening week.
In addition, Rencontres d'Arles covers scenography, communication, installation, dismantling, and security for a validated exhibition project.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 30 November 2026
- Winning projects announced: End of February 2027
- Research phase: Until summer 2027
- Project presentation/evaluation: September to mid-October 2027
- Production phase: After validation of the research project
Location
Arles, France
Additional Details
- The application must include a project description of up to 5,000 characters, the proposed corpus of artists and works, recommended visuals, a provisional €5,000 research budget, research schedule, and provisional €15,000 production budget.
- The curator's biography should include training, full contact details, and a list of previous projects and exhibitions.
- During Phase 1, the curator develops the exhibition proposal and subsequently submits an artistic note, selected corpus of works, information concerning representation and reproduction rights, a provisional budget, and a retrospective schedule.
- Importantly, selection for the research grant does not guarantee that the resulting exhibition will be produced or presented by Rencontres d'Arles. The organisation retains the right to validate or reject the project after the research phase. If the project is validated and programmed by Rencontres d'Arles, a new contract will be signed.
- The €5,000 curator remuneration remains payable even if the research work is ultimately not validated or the planned exhibition does not take place. If the exhibition is presented elsewhere after non-validation, the curator must acknowledge the support received from the 2027 Rencontres d'Arles curatorial research grant.