XIAMEN .- The 9th Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival is being held in Xiamen since December 15, 2023, to January 21, 2024. We look forward to having you with us in appreciating and celebrating this annual grand event of photography!

Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival was co-initiated by Three Shadows Photography Art Centre and Les Rencontres d’Arles in 2015, supported by Jimei District Committee of the CPC and the Government of Jimei District, and co-hosted by Three Shadows and Xiamen Tianxia Jimei Media Co., Ltd. Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival introduces excellent photography works from over- seas with an inclusive and multicultural attitude while synchronizing with the latest international insight. It supports and encourages the creation, studies and curation of Chinese photography so as to facilitate its presence in the public as well as on the international stage. Since its inception, Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival has presented nearly 300 exhibitions from China and other Asian countries, as well as a selection of outstanding works from Les Rencontres d’Arles. Over 600 artists’ works have been presented and the festival has attracted a total of 430,000 visitors.

The 9th Jimei x Arles establishes an Art Committee including director of Les Rencontres d’Arles Christoph Wiesner, noted photography critic Gu Zheng, co-founder of Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF) and founding director of DECK Gwen Lee, Chinese contemporary photographer and co-founder of Three Shadows Photography Art Centre RongRong, executive director of Three Shadows Photography Art Centre Yan Qi. This year the Art Committee takes over the Art Directors’ jobs to co-organize 31 exhibitions, featuring works by over a hundred artists from France, Germany, the United States, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. “Jimei x Arles Discovery Award” and “Curatorial Award for Photography and Moving Image” will announce this year’s winners during the opening week of the festival. Starting from this year, Jimei x Arles has established the ‘Dummy Book Award,’ aimed at encouraging and supporting artists in their creative endeavors centered around photography books.

This year, the exhibitions of Jimei x Arles will be held at Jimei Art Centre and Three Shadows Xiamen Photography Art Centre, as well as in galleries and art schools in Xiamen and Fuzhou as the sub-venues. The Jimei Art Centre is located on the 1st to 4th floors of the podium of the Jimei Chengyi International Business Center, an iconic landmark in Xiamen. It will be open to the public for the first time as the main venue of Jimei x Arles.

This year’s Jimei x Arles introduces the “Isles Project” under the theme of “Art is Never Alone.” Centered around the Jimei x Arles main venue, this project radiates and collaborates with diverse cultural, artistic, and living spaces, inviting the audience to embark on an urban art stroll. During the Jimei x Arles opening week from December 15 to 17, a series of engaging activities, including the opening ceremony, portfolio reviews, lectures, workshops, artist-guided tours, performances, and educational tours, will warmly welcome you to the vibrant city of Xiamen!

Exhibitions from Arles

The “Exhibitions from Arles” section aims to synchronize Chinese audience with the freshest international perspectives. This July, Les Rencontres d’Arles opened with the theme of “A state of consciousness”, among which 7 selected exhibitions will be toured in China: “My Polaroid Friends” by Wim Wenders; a part of the “SØSTERSKAP, Contemporary Nordic Photography” exhibition starring artists Jeannette Ehlers, Fryd Frydendahl, Bente Geving, Heiða Helgadóttir, Hannah Modigh and Emma Sar- paniemi, curated by Elina Heikka, Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger, Charlotte Præstegaard Schwartz, Æsa Sigurjónsdóttir, Nina Strand, Susanne Østby Sæther, Anna Tellgren; “Hoja Santa (Holy Leaf)” by Maciejka Art, curated by Ramon Pez; “COSMOVISIÓN” by Garush Melkonyan. The Rencontres d’Arles Discovery Award, curated by Tanvi Mish- ra in Arles 2023, presents in Jimei two projects: “Caribbean Dreams” by Samantha Box, presented by Tiger Strikes Asteroid (New York, United States) and “The Ajaib Ghar Archive” by Philippe Calia, presented by Tarq (Mumbai, India). And finally, as in previous years, the spotlight will be on photography publishing with the presentation of our 2023 Book Award shortlist and winners.

Jimei x Arles Discovery Award

The establishment of the Jimei x Arles Discovery Award aims to discover and promote Chinese image artists to the international stage. This year, Three Shad- ows Photography Art Centre, in partnership with Xiaohongshu Photography as the “Premium Discovery Partner”, has jointly launched the 2023 Jimei x Arles Discovery Award. Four curators were invited to nominate a total of eight Chinese photographers to participate and hold solo exhibitions. The grand prize winner will be awarded a pre-tax prize of 100,000 RMB, supported by Xiaohongshu, and invited to hold a solo exhibition at the next edition of Les Rencontres d’Arles in France, spreading the new voice of Chinese photography overseas. Xiaohongshu’s Image Discovery Program will continue to find and support high-quality image creators, infusing more possibilities into the development of photographic art.

The participating artists of this year’s “Jimei x Arles Discovery Award” include Li Dan and Liu Guangli, nominated by curator Chen Min; Lahem and Wu MeiChi, nominated by curator Joanna Fu; Wu Yuhang and Zhang Lanpo, nominated by curator He Bo; btr and Yu Guo, nominated by curator Yao Siqing.

Jimei x Arles Curatorial Award for Photography and Moving Image

The Jimei x Arles Curatorial Award for Photography and Moving Image was co- launched by the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre and CHANEL in October 2021. Its mission is to support young creative forces in photography and mov- ing image art: to discover and nurture outstanding young Chinese curators and researchers working with these mediums, as well as to encourage crossdisciplinary research centered around them. Alongside the open call for curatorial proposals, master courses on curation will be organized, after which a professional committee will be convened to select the finalists and the winner. The finalists’ proposals will be presented during the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival as a group exhibition, while the winning proposal will be presented at the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (Beijing), as well as in other selected cit- ies in China as a travelling exhibition. The winner will also have access to a mentorship and exchange program they hold yearly and a cash prize of RMB 100,000.

The 3rd Jimei x Arles Curatorial Award for Photography and Moving Image attracted 53 valid submissions. Five curatorial proposals were selected by the jury committee following two rounds of selection and will be showcased as a group exhibition at the 9th Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival. These selected proposals include “Bodies of Informatics” (Curatorial Team: Gwendoline Choning Kam & Li Suchao), “The Via Combusta” (Curatorial Team: Gan Yingying & Zhou Yichen), “Beyond the View” (Curator: Wang Jiayi), “Song for the Luddites” (Curator: Feng Junyuan), and “Intimacies of Excess” (Curator: Wang Wenjia). The winner of this award will be selected and announced during the opening week.

Greetings from Asia

“Greetings from Asia” aims to discover the dynamic pulse of photography in the Asia region. In past editions, this section has highlighted the photography scene of various Asian coun- tries, including Thailand (2022), Singapore (2021), Japan (2020), India (2019), South Korea (2018), and Indonesia (2017). This year, the section presents a group show titled “Archi- pelago: Paradise Revisit”, curated by Singaporean curator Gwen Lee, a member of Jimei x Arles Art Committee. This exhibition showcases artists from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Cambodia, the artists include ANG Song Nian, Charles Lim Yi Yong, Eiffel Chong, Elizabeth Gabrielle Lee, LIM Sokchanlina, Miti Ruangkritya, MM Yu, nor, Wawi Navarroza, Wilfred Lim.

Outer Regard

The “Outer Regard” section of Jimei x Arles is proud to present the exhibition “Color” by renowned Taiwanese art- ist and aesthete Cheng Tsunshing. This exhibition pays tribute to his extraordinary commitment to the development of Chinese art. Cheng Tsunshing has long been engaged in the fields of aesthetics, philosophy, psychoanalysis, moving image art, etc. “Color” is the third episode of his “Personal Psycho History Trilogy” and features color-film works he shot in Europe during the 1970s. The exhibition will be curated by two members of the Jimei x Arles Art Commit- tee: Gu Zheng and Yan Qi.

Collector’s Tale

The “Collector’s Tale” emphasizes the endeavors of photography collectors and collecting institutions across Asia. This year, “The Third Eye of History”, curated by Xiao Ruiyun, unveils the cherished collection of Mr. Liu Gang, showcasing a photographic album that chronicles the visit of the Great White Fleet to Xiamen during the late Qing Dynasty. It includes 38 original album prints documenting the entire process of this visit, which is a witness to Xiamen’s role as one of the treaty ports in modern Chinese history. Addition- ally, the exhibition will display artifacts related to this historic event from the collection of Xiamen-based collector, Mr. Chen Yayuan. Rather than constructing a grand narrative, the exhibition aims to delve into the microhistory of these visual images.

China Pulse

The “China Pulse” section joins hands with Chinese higher art-education institutions to showcase the new force of Chinese photography. This year Jimei x Arles invites the Major of Pho- tography, Department of Information Art & Design, Academy of Arts and & Design, Tsinghua University to present “Forever Young: Tsinghua University Academy of Arts & Design Photography Education Exhibition”. This exhibition borrows its name from the lyrics inheriting the spirit of Tsinghua University’s motto, “Wuwen Xidong (Forever Young)”. It consists of two parts, namely, “Documentation and Presentation” and “Fiction and Experimentation.”, which review and trace back the 30-year history of photography education at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. This exhibition will be curated by Feng Jianguo, the artists include Degjinhuu, Feng Jianguo, Gao Yuan, Huang Qiujie, Juan Zi, Lei Lei, Li Tong, Liu Silin, Liu Zirui, Ma Sen, Ma Haoran, Mao Wei, RongRong, Sun Yan, Wang Wei, Wang Shiran, Wang Wenbo, Zhang Yinghan.

Crossover Photography

The “Crossover Photography” section exhibits the clash be- tween multimedia and diverse perspectives. This year, it presents the works of actress Huang Xiangli, sculptor Jiang Sheng, and film photographer and director Yu Likwai. On the tenth anniversary of Huang Xiangli’s monodrama “Letter from an Unknown Woman,” she initiated her latest photography project, the “When I Face Alone - 100 Letters from Un- known Women” art project. These Polaroids will be present- ed alongside the artist’s photographic creations from many years in the exhibition “Clumsily Burgeoning.” The project and the exhibition are curated by Liu Chang and supported by CHANEL. Jiang Sheng’s photographic works in the “The Image Is Still Current” exhibition mirror his background in sculpture, influencing his perspectives on the relationship between humans and nature. This experience fosters a dynamic spiritual connection between the audience and his creations. Yu Likwai’s exhibition, “Already it is dusk,” curated by Hai Jie, seeks to transport lost souls into a dream realm through photographs and GIFs derived from film production.

Local Action

“Local Action” triggers the local growth of photography art. Three Shadows Photography Art Centre and Luchao Kulangsu Art Park jointly launched the “Artist Residency Program”. From the open call this year, two artists, Shu Chutian and Pocono Zhao Yu, were selected for a one-month residency in Kulangsu, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and known as a Historic International Settlement. The residency-achievement exhibition, “The Island, Lowercased: Time-Space Beyond the Map”, is curated by Li Zijian. In Fuzhou, G-Lake Art Gallery will pres- ent the exhibition “Metropolitical Retreat”, curated by Lin Linfeng, which adopts the city as a metaphor for the shadows of Plato’s cave, soothing the dilemma of reality and becoming a shelter for the soul.This year, Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival joins hands with One Seed Domestic Workers Care Foundation to present the exhibition “A Room of One’s Own”. This is a unique exhibition that integrates the concepts of “Home” and “Women-only Space” and echoes One Seed Domestic Workers Care Foundation’s concern for women, aiming to call attention to female creators and to explore the position and influence in the creative field of more and more “hers”, curated by Xiao Ruiyun.

vivo VISION+ EXHIBITION

The Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival, in collaboration with its Premium Imaging Partner, vivo, presents the “vivo VISION + Exhibition” The exhibition is curated by RongRong, co-founder of the Jimei x Arles festival, and includes mobile photography works by artists such as Alex Webb, Francesco Gola, Duan Yueheng and Xiao Quan. It also features a selection of outstanding submissions from over 40 countries and regions, totaling 212,265 entries. Each image captures a moment of life. Each frozen frame holds new potential. In this rapidly changing and uncertain era, “adding one more shot” is one of the few certainties in our lives, a precious testament to our ability to capture moments and emotions, and a source of calm amid the chaos of the world. The “vivo VISION + Exhibition” aims to showcase a dynamic aesthetics of images, awakening everyone’s perception and expression of contemporary life through mobile photography, fostering imagination and creativity in daily life. It also extends an invitation to global creators to participate in the 2024 vivo VISION +, expecting more people to enjoy creating, anticipate life, capture it with passion, and “add one more shot.” The competition officially begins its call for entries on November 13, 2023.

The 2023 Leica Oskar Barnack Award Exhibition

The Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA), established in 1980, marks the centenary of Oscar Barnack’s birth (1879-1936). He is the inventor of the first modern compact camera, the “Ur-Leica,” and the 35mm film. The award’s primary purpose is to recognize photographers with a sharp sense of observation and the ability to vividly depict humanitarian aspects and the relationship between humanity and the environment.

Following 2011, the LOBA Newcomer Award once again went to a young Chinese photographer in 2023. Photographer Le Ziyi from Fujian captured the faces of young people in a foreign land through his series titled “New Comer”. His imagery reflects their self-doubt, detachment, emptiness, and their quest for personal development and social standing. The 2023 LOBA main award was claimed by Ismael Ferdous. He employed a keen photographic eye and a vibrant contemporary style to skillfully demonstrate the collision and fusion of cultures at Cox’s Bazar Beach Resort in his series “Sea Beach”. This exhibition is curated by Gu Zheng, and it features works by Ismail Ferdous, Le Ziyi, Eric Bouvet, and Gustavo Minas.

Curved Lines

The exhibition “Curved Lines,” a collaboration between FUJIFILM and Magnum Photos, features works by three photographers from Magnum Photos: Alessandra Sanguinetti, Emin Özmen, and Gregory Halpern. The exhibition is curated by Philipp Ebeling.

Space on Paper - Jimei x Arles Book Exhibition

As a significant and unique medium for presenting photography, photobooks have always garnered attention from artists. The study of photography theory has also remained a focal point in the realms of visual culture and communication studies. The “Space on Paper - Jimei x Arles Book Exhibition” continues its focus on the development of contemporary photobooks over the past year, endeavoring to collect and showcase outstanding photography books and publications on photography theory from around the world. Additionally, this year’s book exhibition introduces the “Jimei x Arles Dummy Book Award”, open to unpublished sample books and handcrafted photography portfolios. Winners will receive a prize of RMB 10,000 (pre-tax), encouraging and supporting artists in their creative endeavors rooted in photography books.

It’s Been Many Years

Jimei x Arles, in collaboration with its imaging partner FU- JIFILM, presents the exhibition “It’s Been Many Years”, featuring the works of dozens of artists including Feng Li, Guo Mei, Chi Haibo, Xiong Hanquan, Chen Lei, Cheng Xueli, Sun Zhijun, Yu Jia, Kong Lingkai, Chen Jingwen, Tang Xiaoping, Wu Shenjie, etc. Their works transcend geographical boundaries, capturing incredible moments in time, documenting destruction and rebirth, and at times, reshaping the distant past.

Isles Project

“Isles Project” takes “Art is Never Alone” as its theme. Centered around the photo festival, this project radiates and collaborates with diverse cultural, artistic, and living spaces, creating a simultaneous resonance of artistic pulse, and inviting the audience to embark on an urban art stroll.

The inaugural “Isles Project” brings together 100+ brands from 10 cities to jointly establish a creative community. It presents the “Isles Project Parallel Exhibition” at 25 locations, including two curated routes in Dashe at Jimei district, and Baijiacun at Siming district in Xiamen, as well as three independent exhibition spaces in Xiamen and Quanzhou. The exhibitions explore the local lifestyles, encompassing modern spaces and traditional shops, enabling the audience to experience the wonderful echo between the local streets and the art ecology.

Combining the parallel exhibitions with lifestyle trends, the project has established three “City Walk” routes that connect local art spaces, tea houses and cafes, shops for innovative desserts and unique cuisine, providing diverse entertainment options that merge art and travel. In addition, the “Isles Project” collaborates with “islers” to customize diverse activities, interactive games, and exclusive benefits, enhancing the local experience for the audience during the photo festival.