2027 Curatorial Research Fellowship
Organisation: Les Rencontres d’Arles
Focus: Exhibition projects relating to images or photography
Curator’s remuneration: €5,000 gross
Potential production budget: Up to €15,000, subject to project approval
Application deadline: 30 November 2026
Project location: Arles, France, if the exhibition is approved for production
Les Rencontres d’Arles invites exhibition curators to propose an original project relating to images or photography for its 2027 Curatorial Research Fellowship. Supported by Jean-François Dubos, the fellowship gives the selected curator six months to research and develop an exhibition proposal.
The opportunity has two phases. The selected curator receives €5,000 gross for the research and preliminary work, including the associated assignment of copyright. At the end of the research period, they present their proposal to the artistic team. If Les Rencontres d’Arles approves the project for exhibition, it may then receive a production budget of up to €15,000, managed by the organisation. Exhibition production is therefore conditional; the €15,000 is not a payment to the curator.
Research phase
The curator will develop the proposed exhibition, its selection of works and artists, rights information, budget and production schedule. They will have six months to complete the research and present the resulting proposal for artistic evaluation. The €5,000 remuneration remains payable even if the exhibition is not approved or does not take place.
Production phase
If the proposal is approved, Les Rencontres d’Arles will support the exhibition’s creation and production under a new contract. The €15,000 budget may cover artwork loans, transport to and from Arles, production of works, insurance, and invitations and related expenses for the curator and, where applicable, artists. Les Rencontres d’Arles will separately cover exhibition design, communications, installation, dismantling and security.
The curator will select the exhibition works, establish their display and reproduction rights, write an introductory text, and attend the festival’s opening week to participate in an exhibition tour. Approval of the research does not guarantee that the exhibition will be programmed for a particular festival edition.
Applications
Apply through the online form by 30 November 2026. Applicants must upload one PDF of no more than 10 MB, containing the following materials in order:
- A description of the proposed exhibition project of no more than 5,000 characters; a list of proposed works and artists, preferably with images; a provisional €5,000 research budget and timetable; and a provisional exhibition production budget of €15,000.
- A biography of the curator, co-curators or collective, including education, full contact details and a record of previous projects and exhibitions, with descriptions and images where relevant.
Texts must be in French or English, ideally both.
The call opened on 16 September 2026. Selected projects are due to be announced at the end of February 2027, with research continuing into summer 2027 and the developed proposals presented between September and mid-October 2027.
Photo credit: We are not alone, Alien Images by Philippe Baudouin, 2025 Curatorial Research Grant Winner.