CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Discovery Award Louis Roederer Foundation

The Rencontres d'Arles is opening its call for applications for the 2026 Discovery Award Louis Roederer Foundation, part of the festival's 57th edition.

The award's aim is to promote the work of the selected artists, who will be showcased in the Discovery Award exhibition; and to reward the winning projects with the jury award of €15,000 and public award of €5,000.

Since 2021, the Rencontres d'Arles Discovery Award has integrated organizations that foster emerging artists: community spaces, independent exhibition sites, artist-run spaces, hybrid exhibition spaces, galleries, institutions, foundations, ...  pave the way to identify and support artists. 

The curator invited is Nadine Hounkpatin

During opening week, a jury selected by the festival will determine the jury award, which rewards an artist and the artist's supporting organization by an acquisition of artworks in the amount of €15,000; festival visitors will determine the public award, which rewards an artist and the artist's supporting organization by an acquisition of artworks in the amount of €5,000.

Terms of participation

Each organization (gallery, art center, community space, independent exhibition site, institution) may present, in the form of an exhibition proposal, a single artist (or a single artists' collective working as a single artistic entity).

The application must: 

→ propose a photographic exhibition project by one artist whose work has recently been discovered.

→ be submitted by an organization only (artists may not apply directly).

Organizations that may participate are: galleries, art centers, community spaces, public institutions, and independent exhibition spaces. The organization's primary function must be the exhibition of artists' work.

→ if selected, the organization and artist agree not to show the project, in whole or in part, before its exhibition at the Rencontres d'Arles 2026.

→ if selected, the organization and artist agree to produce the exhibition project for the Rencontres d'Arles, based on the production budget supplied by the festival.

Application

→ a short biography of the artist (700 keystrokes maximum, including spaces); a CV showing the artist's exhibitions and publications; a portfolio of the artist's work

→ a short written presentation of the organization (400 keystrokes maximum, including spaces); the organization's website; and a chronological list of exhibitions presented by the organization

→ title of exhibition project and presentation text for the exhibition project (1,500 keystrokes maximum, including spaces); images of works to be exhibited, specifying their number, dimensions, medium, and how they will be presented

→ estimated production budget for the exhibition, based on the template of the application's online model.

Texts must be in French or/and English.
 

Timetable

2025
→ September 12: online application opening

→ December 1, midnight (Paris time): online application deadline

2026

→ January: exhibition planning timetable sent out for shortlisted projects; preparation of communications materials for press conference

→ February: exhibition space selected; communications materials delivered

→ March: Rencontres d'Arles press conference

→ March to May: launch through completion of project production

→ May: works received in Paris or Arles

→ June: exhibition mounted

→ July to october: Discovery Award projects exhibited as part of the 57th edition of the Rencontres d'Arles

Find all the information on the dedicated website.