PHOTO Australia partners with Rencontres d’Arles 2025

PHOTO Australia has announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Rencontres d’Arles, one of the world’s most renowned and longest-running photography festivals, to present the exhibition On Country: Photography from Australia. This landmark exhibition will premiere in Arles, France, from 7 July to 5 October 2025, marking the first time there has been a regional focus on Australia at the festival.

Curated by PHOTO Australia Founder/Artistic Director Elias Redstone, Guest Curator Kimberley Moulton (Yorta Yorta), and PHOTO Australia Curators Pippa Milne and Brendan McCleary, On Country features works by 17 Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. With over 200 photographic works, the exhibition explores the profound connection to land that defines ‘Country’ in First Peoples’ cultures. The diverse practices of Australian artists are brought to the international stage through images that reflect both visible and invisible aspects of being ‘on Country’ – a term that embodies First Peoples’ spiritual, physical and cultural ties to land,  waterways, seas and cosmos.

“On Country: Photography from Australia is a significant moment for Australian photography, amplifying the depth and diversity of our artists on a prestigious global platform,” says Redstone. “By bringing these works to Arles, we are not only elevating the voices of these artists but also reinforcing Australia’s significant contribution to contemporary photography.”

The exhibition will be hosted in the historic Eglise Saint-Anne, a deconsecrated church from the 1600s, and will be a key feature of the Rencontres d’Arles’ 2025 program, attracting over 160,000 visitors. A catalogue, including an essay by Kelli Cole (Warumunga/Luritja), will complement the exhibition.

Christoph Wiesner, Director of the Rencontres d’Arles, described the exhibition as “the most significant showing of Australian artists ever at the Arles festival,” and a crucial opportunity for international audiences to engage with Australian photographic practices.

On Country represents a major milestone in PHOTO Australia’s mission to elevate Australian photography on the world stage, following a series of international partnerships with the Victoria & Albert Museum and The Photographers’ Gallery, London, and CONTACT Photography Festival, Toronto.

Exhibiting artists include: Tony Albert, David Charles Collins, Ying Ang, Atong Atem, Elisa Jane Carmichael, Sonja Carmichael, Maree Clarke, Michael Cook, Brenda L Croft, J Davies, Liss Fenwick, Adam Ferguson, Robert Fielding, The Huxleys, Ricky Maynard, Lisa Sorgini, Tace Stevens, wani toaishara and James Tylor.

For more information, visit the PHOTO Australia website or the Rencontres D’Arles website.