2026 CURATORIAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

CALL FOR APPLICATIONSSEPTEMBER 15 — DECEMBER 1, 2025

The Rencontres d'Arles €20,000 curatorial research fellowship is open to all exhibition curators.

The project chosen will be carried out in two stages:

- Research

- Production (after approval, if the project is included in the Rencontres d’Arles program)

The maximum €20,000 grant includes:

- An initial amount of €5,000 in copyright acquired for the winner

- A second amount of €15,000 for producing the project; in case of approval by Les Rencontres d’Arles.

RULES OF PARTICIPATION

1 — PURPOSE

The Rencontres d'Arles curatorial research fellowship is intended for curators wishing to carry out an original image/photography project.

It is supported by Jean-François Dubos.

2 — APPLICATION

The application must be filed online here before December 1, 2025:

→ rencontresarles.typeform.com

In a single pdf (10Mb max.), including (in order):

→ a biography of the curator (and co-curators or collective if applicable) with background, full contact details and a list of curatorial projects & exhibitions, including presentations and views (in the case of exhibitions) of the various projects undertaken by the curator(s).

→ a text presenting the proposed exhibition project (maximum 5,000 characters), the body of works and the artists involved in the project (submitting visuals is strongly advised), a provisional research budget (€5,000), a research schedule and a provisional exhibition production budget (€15,000).

The texts must be in French or English, ideally both.

3 — RESEARCH & PRODUCTION

STAGE 1 — RESEARCH

- Based on the project selected, the curator will receive a €5,000 grant for expenses and copyright fees throughout the length of the research.

- The budget and schedule will be submitted to the Rencontres d'Arles for approval.

- The curator will have six months of research time at the end of which he/she will propose a note to the artistic direction of the Rencontres d'Arles to validate the feasibility of the project and its restitution format (stage 2).

STAGE 2 — PRODUCING & ORGANIZING THE EXHIBITION

After approval, if the project is approved by Les Rencontres d'Arles at the end of the 6-month research period, the project will enter the production stage funded by the Rencontres d'Arles.

→ The €15,000 budget managed by the Rencontres d'Arles includes:

- Loans of works

- Shipping works to Arles (round-trip)

- Production of the works: printing, framing, wallpaper, videos, etc.

- An invitation to the curator, and possible costs of the artists’ expenses in Arles during opening week (and/or the mounting of the exhibition).

- Insurance

- Etc.

→ The curator agrees to:

- Make a selection of the exhibition’s works and determine the presentation and reproduction rights

- Write a text presenting the selection of photographs

- Be present at the festival’s opening week and participate to the guided tour of the exhibition.

In addition to these items, the Rencontres d’Arles will cover the following expenses: scenography, mounting and dismantling of the works, security.

4 — TIMETABLE

→ September 15, 2025

Opening of applications

→ December 1, 2025

Application deadline

→ End February 2026

Announcement of the shortlisted project(s)

→ Until Summer 2026

Research (stage 1)

→ From September 2026

In the case of approval, production of the project (stage 2) 

The Curatorial research fellowship is generously supported by Jean-François Dubos.CONTACTJohanna Testonjohanna.teston@rencontres-arles.com+33(0)4 90 96 76 06