In Pictures – Rencontres d'Arles 2026: Photography Confronts Colonial Legacies
Irina Popa revisits a selection of photographs presented at the 57th edition of Les Rencontres d’Arles that examine the enduring legacies of colonialism through the work of African and Afro-descendant artists. Featuring practitioners such as Paul Kodjo, Omar Victor Diop, Lee Shulman, Ming Smith, Martine Barrat, and Ayana V. Jackson, the article considers how photography can reactivate archives, question inherited representations, and offer new perspectives on Black histories and identities. The exhibitions are on view through October 4, 2026.
Popa places particular emphasis on Jackson's presentation, The Good News is Delivered Not on Mountaintops but in Clearings, highlighting three works: To Be Black and Female in the Spanish South West, in the Style of Selika Lazevski(2023), Adelita: She was not only Brave she was Beautiful (2023), and Labouring under the Sign of the Future (2017).
