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Arles House Collective
A countryside stay during Rencontres d'Arles

For the past decade, I've been bringing together small groups of photographers, artists, curators, editors and other photography professionals during the opening week of Les Rencontres de la Photographie d'Arles in July.

What started as a shared stay in a countryside house just outside Arles has grown into a recurring gathering that combines the festival with the slower rhythm of the countryside. Each year, a changing mix of people come together to stay, exchange ideas, share meals, visit exhibitions and enjoy the week in good company. Nothing overly structured, no obligations, just a way to informally meet or talk about projects and practices while having breakfast or preparing for a portfolio review.

The Arles House Collective is an informal framework for connection throughout the opening week. Centered around two countryside houses just outside Arles, it naturally creates opportunities for encounters between people working in and around photography. Experiencing Rencontres d'Arles while also making space for reflection, friendship and exchange beyond the festival.

La Jansonne - The Country House

Le Mas de l’Agneau - The Farmhouse

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Until next year..

The 2026 edition has just come to an end - a week of conversations, spontaneous plans, long dinners, new friendships and meaningful encounters between people who had never met before. Guests joined from the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Austria and the United States.

Some were visiting Rencontres d'Arles for the first time, others returned to present work in the festival, do booksignings, take part in talent programmes or celebrate important milestones in their artistic practice. By the end of the week, exhibitions had been visited, books exchanged, friendships formed and future collaborations imagined around the dinner table.

More than a place to stay, the Arles House Collective offers the foundations for connection in beautiful settings and in an international community.

The next edition will take place in July 2027. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy being part of, I'd love to hear from you. You're welcome to express your interest already. Feel free to email me via monique.wijdeven@gmail.com