The 11th edition of the Jimei × Arles International Photo Festival will take place in Xiamen from November 29, 2025 to January 4, 2026. Early bird tickets are now on sale through November 20!

As Asia's premier annual photography event, the Jimei × Arles International Photo Festival is the only cultural platform in China with a long-term partnership with the world-renowned Rencontres d'Arles in France. Since its founding in 2015 in Xiamen's Jimei District, the festival has showcased cutting-edge global photography through professional curation and international vision, while supporting Chinese artists in their creation and research, and elevating their work to global attention. Each November, Jimei × Arles returns to Xiamen with high-standard, professional and globally oriented artistic exhibitions, offering both local and international visitors an exceptional cultural experience where art and the city converge. Over the past decade, it has presented more than 300 exhibitions featuring over 700 artists, hosted over 800 public events, and attracted over 550,000 visitors.

The 2025 Jimei × Arles Art Committee includes prominent members: Bas Vroege, curator, producer, and Founder & Director of Paradox; Cao Dan, senior art journalist, curator, and documentary film director; Christoph Wiesner, Director of Les Rencontres d'Arles; Gu Zheng, curator, critic, and Professor at the School of Journalism, Fudan University; Takahiro Ito, Curator of Photography at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Japan; and RongRong&inri, Co-founders of Three Shadows Photography Art Centre.

This year, Jimei × Arles will stage more than 25 exhibitions showcasing thousands of works from mainland China, Brazil, the United States, Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, and Taiwan, China, spanning photography, video, installation, and multimedia. Highlights include six exhibitions selected from Les Rencontres d'Arles, eight presentations in the "Jimei × Arles Discovery Award" section, the winning proposal of the 4th "Jimei × Arles Curatorial Award for Photography and Moving Image", a "Collector's Tale" group exhibition, a "Crossover Photography" showcase, two "China Pulse" exhibitions, two exhibitions in the "Greetings from Hong Kong" section, a special presentation marking the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations, along with a diverse range of projects presented by SONY and SIGMA. In addition, through the "Isles Project," the festival will activate urban and community spaces, fostering dialogue between artistic practice and everyday life.

The highly anticipated "Jimei × Arles Discovery Award" will be announced during the opening week. The cash prize of this year's Discovery Award is sponsored by Cathay Capital. The winner will be invited to hold a solo exhibition at the next edition of Les Rencontres d'Arles in France, representing a new force in Chinese photography. Since its inception, the award has become a vital platform for identifying and promoting emerging Chinese photographic artists, providing them with opportunities for international exposure. This year's finalists, nominated by five galleries, represent diverse creative practices and cross-regional perspectives.

In conjunction with the festival, the Jimei × Arles "Curatorial Seminar for Photography and Moving Image" — a non-profit course with special support by CHANEL, is set to begin again before the opening week of the Jimei × Arles. The project integrates the multifaceted and cutting-edge photography and moving image art presented by Jimei × Arles and brings together experts from various fields to continuously support the growth and development of emerging curators and researchers. Meanwhile, the opening week will also unveil the Experts' Meet-up "Portfolio Review Award," recognizing emerging photographers with complete and promising bodies of work, and providing a platform for presentation, exchange, and dialogue with professional evaluators.

The exhibition takes place in Jimei, a district rich in cultural heritage — vibrant, open, and inclusive, where the spirit of the city coexists with dynamic artistic practices. During the exhibition period, the Jimei × Arles International Photo Festival will continuously extend the energy of the exhibition space through a series of public programs, including university lectures, portfolio review, artist-led tours, performances, and study trips. Together, these activities create an open and dynamic artistic field where photographic art is deeply woven into the fabric of Jimei New City — a place celebrated for its beauty and vitality. This not only offers visitors a rich and immersive experience but also builds an international platform that combines academic depth with public engagement, allowing Xiamen and photographic art to shine together on the global stage of artistic exchange.

EXHIBITIONS FROM ARLES

The "Exhibitions from Arles" section aims to synchronize the Chinese audience with the freshest international perspectives. This July, the 56th edition of Les Rencontres d'Arles opened with the theme of "DISOBEDIENT IMAGES", among which six exhibitions will be toured: a part of Ancestral Futures — Brazilian Contemporary Scene by Igi Lọlá Ayedun, Denilson Baniwa, Rafa Bqueer, Mayara Ferrão, Collective Lakapoy, Paulo Nazareth, Melissa de Oliveira, Lincoln Péricles, Ventura Profana, Glicéria Tupinambá, and Gê Viana, curated by Thyago Nogueira; a part of Retratistas do Morro — Reflections from Serra Community, Belo Horizonte (1970-1990) by João Mendes and Afonso Pimenta, curated by Guilherme Cunha; and Alma by Keisha Scarville. The Rencontres d'Arles Discovery Award, curated by César González-Aguirre in Arles 2025, presents in Jimei two projects: The Belongings of the Air by Musuk Nolte, presented by Vist Projects [Medellín, Colombia], and Men and Landscapes for an Act of Violence by Denis Serrano, presented by CAMPO [Mexico City, Mexico]. And finally, the spotlight will be on photography publishing with the presentation of the 2025 Book Award shortlist and winners.


JIMEI × ARLES DISCOVERY AWARD

This year, the "Jimei × Arles Discovery Award" features eight nominated artists, proposed by five galleries. M Art Center has nominated Gao Yutao (exhibition Tomorrow Is Another Day, curated by Cui Can) and Fu Bailin (exhibition Photographic Ecology: Plants breathe; photographs breathe, curated by William Schaefer); OFOTO & ANART has nominated Xu Xiaowei (exhibition Spacing Memories, curated by Joshua Gong) and Cao Mengqin (exhibition After <A Kiss After Drink>, curated by Huang Yunhe); Wang Juyan nominated by see+ Gallery (exhibition I woke up. Another falling Lucifer. It is not safe to turn off your computer); Gao Mingxi nominated by Tianfu Image Art Center · May Park Gallery (exhibition Archipelago); and X Contemporary Art has nominated Jiang Pengyi (exhibition Light Is the Awakening of the Soul, curated by Wang Xi) and Hu Weiyi (exhibition The Inner Obscura, curated by Wang Xi).


JIMEI × ARLES CURATORIAL AWARD FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND MOVING IMAGE

Co-launched with CHANEL in 2021, the mission of Jimei × Arles Curatorial Award for Photography and Moving Image is to support young creative forces in photography and moving image art, discover and nurture outstanding young Chinese curators and researchers. "Metal Odyssey," the winning proposal of the 4th edition, curated by Yi-Ning Lin (Michelle) and Chia-Shin Yang, was announced as the winner in December 2024, after which it entered the exhibition implementation stage with the support of the award. The outcome made its inaugural debut at the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre in Beijing this spring, followed by a conversation at the 2025 Kyotographie International Photography Festival. "Metal Odyssey" employs "metal" as a symbol of the medical instruments associated with patients and their families. Through the works of Jess Ching-Wa Lau and Chia-Shin Yang, the exhibition delves into trauma and the memories shaped by significant life events. The tour to Jimei × Arles will continue the exploration, narration, and dialogue between the artists and the audience regarding individual experiences of life.


SPECIAL PRESENTATION FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHINA-EU DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations, Jimei × Arles presents the exhibition NOWHERE – Imagining the Global City, curated by Bas Vroege. The exhibition brings together thirty years of work by Dutch artist Frank van der Salm. It presents a world in which "Instagrammability" is first and foremost, revealing a consumer-oriented, imaginary metropolis. Images question each other about the reality they represent. Together, they form the image of a city that, all of a sudden, simultaneously seems to be everywhere and nowhere: both now here and nowhere.


COLLECTOR'S TALE

The exhibition Coleccionar en femenino. Nuevas maneras de ver presented by El Instituto Cervantes, brings together the work of Spanish photographers Linarejos Moreno, Isabel Muñoz, and Laura Torrado, in dialogue with Chinese artist Xing Danwen. Curated by Spanish contemporary art specialists Rosina Gómez-Baeza and Lucía Ybarra, the exhibition presents works drawn from major private collections led by women. In a field traditionally dominated by men, this new perspective not only highlights the achievements of women artists in the visual arts but also offers a distinct perspective on the role of female collecting in the preservation and dissemination of contemporary art — opening up a new space for dialogue on female identity.


GREETINGS FROM HONG KONG

This year, the "Greetings from Hong Kong" section at Jimei × Arles features two specially curated group exhibitions, featuring artists from diverse generations and backgrounds. Through photographic and moving image practices, the exhibitions showcase various dimensions of Hong Kong contemporary art, highlighting the richness of its visual storytelling and cultural imagination. 
The Past is Before Us (2.0): Picture before Picture, curated by Tang Ying Chi, presents works by nine Hong Kong artists: FungBing Fai, Ko Chi Keung, Ada Au, Tam Wai Ping, Wo Bik Wong, Francis Yu, Alex Chung, Chow Pui Ha, and Almong Chu.
The Seen · The Made: TAN Khiang × Almond CHU  Art Direction Meets Photography, curated by Ann Mak, examines how "urban figures" are photographed, conceived, and shaped, exploring the interplay between visual language and cultural memory.


CHINA PULSE

The "China Pulse" section spotlights the photographic and moving image practices of university teachers and students from both China and abroad.
The exhibition From Allegory to Algorithm: Royal College of Art Photography Exhibition, co-curated by Rut Blees Luxemburg and Harriet Min Zhang, presents the works of 18 Chinese alumni who studied at the renowned Photography Programme at the Royal College of Art, London. The participating artists include: Yiding Chen, Xiao Han, Shin·Xinyu Hao, Wenqingao Reven Lei, Zhiyun Lei, Yushi Li, Zhihang Li, Zhuoheng Li, Lillian Lijuan Liu, Yihan Pan, Shijing Shen, Luyao Shi, Bowei Yang, Bing Ye, Dashen Zhang, Joe Zijian Zhou, Wanrong Zhu, and Yang Zou.
Homeland · Shanshui: Faculty-Student Art Exhibition of Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication — CNAF Talent Development Program, curated by Minfeng Shi, features works by 13 faculty members and students, including Minfeng Shi, Xuqi Dong, Ruoyu Li, Tianyi Li, Yazhen Li, Zesheng Li, Yuyang Liu, Nan Ma, Wang Wang, Ziyi Xiong, Yue Zhang, Wei Zhao, and Chao Zheng.


CROSSOVER PHOTOGRAPHY

The "Crossover Photography" section presents the creative explorations of cross-media artists exploring photography as a medium. Curated by Gu Zheng, The World as a Theater — Xu Lei: A Solo Photography Exhibition brings together renowned painter Xu Lei's long-term photographic practice. Captured with mobile devices over the years, these works serve as distinctive visual responses to his acute observations of everyday life. For Xu Lei, the world itself is a theater, continually unfolding myriad acts and unpredictable happenings. With a painter's sensitivity and perception, Xu Lei has long captured the visual spectacles staged in this grand theater of reality. Beginning with ordinary and often-overlooked moments, Xu Lei cleverly "matches" disparate elements within a single frame, embarking on visual adventures into the unknown and the ambiguous. At its core, his "anomalous photography" employs visual paradoxes that draw viewers toward the hidden, surreal depths of the world, while calmly expressing his unique understanding of both reality and the photographic medium.