The Biennial exhibition of photography in the contemporary Arab world is a joint initiative of the Institut du Monde Arabe (the Arab World Institute) and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP). The first edition of the Biennial will provide a unique overview of the contemporary photographers who have been working in —or whose work has involved— the Arab World since the beginning of the 2000s.

Based on the complementary expertise of the Institut du Monde Arabe and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, the event will be held in these two major institutions, which are located near each other and are separated by the Seine. On both banks of the Seine, the IMA and the MEP will constitute the two main geographic locations of an itinerary in which visitors will discover several exhibitions, presented in private galleries and public venues associated with the event (the Cité Internationale des Arts, the Mairie of the fourth arrondissement, the Graine de Photographe Association, the Galerie Basia Embiricos, the Galerie Photo 12, and the Galerie Binôme).

The Biennial will bring together works created by artists from Arab countries complemented by the work of Western photographers: different visions of a diverse and living region of the world, whose influence extends well beyond its borders. The aim of this Biennial is to become a major event in the contemporary photography scene.