The Jimei Arles photo festival: A visual feast ahead

Colombian artist Juan Pablo Echeverrí's 2011 work, Supersonas, will be shown in the Rencontres d'Arles photo festival in France in July. [Photo/Rencontres Arles]

Three years ago, French photographer and curator Sam Stourdzé brought the world's most renowned photo festival - the Rencontres d'Arles - to Jimei, a district in the coastal city of Xiamen, Southeast China's Fujian province. It was Rencontres' debut in China and also the first time the festival had been staged outside France.

In November, the third Jimei Arles photo festival will stage another visual feast in Xiamen, showcasing both photos selected from the 2017 Rencontres in France and some produced by Chinese photographers.

When East and West imaginations meet

In a recent interview with China Daily, Jimei Arles festival cofounder Rong Rong said, this year, eight projects from the Rencontres will be featured, but they are still in discussions about which works to select.

"They will be tailored according to Chinese audiences' tastes."

The final list will be unveiled in September.

Rong, who is a pioneering Chinese photographer, said the month-long event will also include lectures, book fairs, forums, and workshops, serving as a platform not only for admiring art but also for sharing photography experience and ideas.

Last year, nearly 40 exhibitions were shown in Jimei, attracting over 50,000 visitors from both China and abroad, according to its organizers. Among them, eight are from the Rencontres.

Gidéon Mendel's 2014 photo from the Submerged portraits series will be shown in the Rencontres d'Arles photo festival in Arles, France, in July. [Photo/ Rencontres Arles, courtesy of the artist]

A diverse collection of photos 

The Rencontres d'Arles is celebrating its 48th anniversary in Southern France in July, with the theme The Experience of Territory.

With approximately 40 exhibitions, the Rencontres will put its international focus on Colombia this year, showcasing works of nearly 30 Colombian professional photographers. It will also offer a glimpse of Iran from 1979-2017 through the lens of Iranian photographers.

Big names for the 2017 Rencontres will include Joel Meyerowitz, Michael Wolf, Marie Bovo, Mathieu Pernot and Roger Ballen.

Meanwhile, a fine collection of Amelie star Audrey Tautou's photos will meet the public for the first time in 15 years.