The Jimei × Arles International Photo Festival returns to China from 23 November-02 January, featuring cutting-edge Chinese image-markers alongside exhibitions from Les Rencontres d'Arles and Korea .
Founded in 2015 by Chinese photographer RongRong (who also also founded China’s "rst photography museum, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre) with Sam Stourdzé, director of Rencontres d’Arles, the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival is the biggest of its kind in China. It returns this November with 30 exhibitions by over 70 artists, including shows brought over from Arles and exhibitions devoted to emerging Chinese image-makers.
The Jimei x Arles Discovery Award nominees features work by ten new Chinese photographers, for example – with one image-maker selected from the show to win 200,000 RMB plus a place in Arles’ prestigious Discovery Awards. This year the nominees are: Coca Dai (1976), Hu Wei (1989), Lei Lei (1985), Pixy Liao (1979), Lau Wai (1982), Shao Ruilu (1993), Shen Wei (1977), Su Jiehao (1988), Wong Wingsang (1990), and Yang Wenbin (1996). They were selected by curators Dong Bingfeng, Li Jie, Chelsea Qianxi Liu, Holly Roussell and Wang Yan.
Pixy Liao’s work has also been nominated for the second Jimei × Arles – Madame Figaro Women Photographers Award, the "first-ever photography award for women in China. In addition to Liao – whose book Experimental Relationship Vol I has also been nominated for the Paris Photo/Aperture Foundation First Photobook Award – the other women on the shortlist are: Chen Xiao & Zhou Yichen, Du Yanfang, Gan Yingying, Shao Ruilu, Song Shuyang, Wu Mengyuan, and Zhou Yang.
-By Diane Smyth, British Journal of Photography
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