Arles 2027 Curatorial Research Fellowship

Location: Arles, France

Open to: Exhibition curators, including co-curators and collectives, wishing to develop an original exhibition project related to image or photography.

Application Fee: Free

What’s Provided:

The fellowship offers a maximum of €20,000, divided into two phases:

  • Research Phase (€5,000): A €5,000 gross payment to the selected curator for research expenses and copyright assignment. The research period lasts six months.

  • Production Phase (€15,000): A production budget subject to approval of the research project by the artistic direction of Rencontres d’Arles.

The €15,000 production budget, managed by Rencontres d’Arles, covers:

  • Artwork loans.

  • Transportation of artworks to and from Arles.

  • Artwork production, including prints, framing, wallpapers and videos.

  • The curator’s invitation and, where applicable, accommodation and expenses for participating artists during the festival's opening week or exhibition installation.

  • Insurance.

Rencontres d’Arles also covers exhibition design, communication, installation and dismantling of the works, and security.

What the Applicant Must Cover / Commit To:

The selected curator must:

  • Develop the exhibition project and carry out six months of research.

  • Select the artworks and determine their presentation and reproduction rights.

  • Write an introductory text presenting the selected photographs.

  • Present the research results to the jury between September and mid-October 2027.

  • Attend the festival's opening week and participate in the exhibition's guided tour.

The application must include:

  • An exhibition project description (maximum 5,000 characters).

  • A list of proposed artworks and artists. Visual materials are strongly recommended.

  • A provisional research budget of €5,000.

  • A research timetable.

  • A provisional exhibition production budget of €15,000.

  • A curator biography, including educational background, contact details, and documentation of previous projects and exhibitions.

All documents must be submitted together in a single PDF file, maximum 10 MB. Application texts must be in French or English, ideally both.

Duration: Six months of research, followed by a production phase if the project is approved.

Deadline: November 30, 2026

Important Notes:

  • Selected projects will be announced at the end of February 2027.

  • The research phase continues until summer 2027.

  • Research results must be presented between September and mid-October 2027.

  • The €15,000 production budget is conditional on approval and is not an additional curator fee.

  • If the research project is not approved, the curator retains the €5,000 payment and may produce the exhibition independently at their own expense.

 

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