After receiving an official invitation to the Photography Meetings in Arles, I wanted to share a moment of this day with you. I wondered where to start. Should I photograph the invitation? Looking at the illustration inside the document, I was struck by the bright, dominating, dazzling sun against a pastel orange background. This celestial body, this star producing its own energy which draws its outer layers back to its core, with its radiation spewing matter outwards – could metaphorically be one of the representations of the Photography Meetings, a festival that renews itself each year through the diversity of its offerings.
But will this ever-increasing light, this major ingredient to create an image, burn our retinas one day until we are blinded?
Anyway, it would have been impossible for me to visit all the exhibitions in just a few hours, so I’m sorry, I won’t be able to give you a report on this event which, over several months, will host no fewer than 40 exhibitions in 25 heritage locations, not to mention all the exhibitions in the OFF.
So, I booked a train ticket online. I decided to take it from Narbonne at 6:32 am to arrive at Arles train station at 8:44 am.
On the morning of the 1st, I woke up around 5 am wondering what would dominate the day. What would be the omens of the day? What connections would life offer me? All the while keeping in mind that life is often unpredictable.
At 6:32 am, the compartment of the SNCF Occitanie train was almost empty. Looking at the digital display screen showing all the upcoming stops, I noticed the dominant orange which curiously reminded me of the color of the invitation card.
Slowly the train started moving and an orange tiled wall appeared.
Shortly after, a couple sat in the seats parallel to mine. The lady’s skirt still had that dominant orange hue.
This omnipresent color in my environment, this orange tone, seemed to want to remind me of how signs can sometimes manifest. Was it just a coincidence or was it destined to awaken my perception for this upcoming day?
As the train sped through the changing landscapes of southern France, I felt a growing excitement about what awaited me upon my arrival in Arles.
The orangish light that had accompanied me since the beginning of this journey now seemed to be the common thread of my experience at the Arles Photography Meetings, a warm and vibrant hue symbolizing perhaps the passion and energy of this major artistic event.
This invitation triggered a whole inner and outer journey, filled with symbols and questions.
The symbolism of the orangish light, present from the invitation illustration to the train journey, created a subtle connection between each stage of this day. The color seemed ready to guide me through the different exhibitions.
This story raises the question of perceiving signs and coincidences in our lives, reminding us that sometimes, being attentive to details is enough to grasp all the richness and magic present around us.
