Address given by Frédéric Mitterrand on the occasion of the Rencontres photographiques d'Arles

It is always a great pleasure for me to meet you in Arles around
photography and magnificent exhibitions organized each year
by François Hébel, under the benevolent, efficient and elegant presidency
by Jean-Noel Jeanneney. Every year, the Encounters surprise us
programming. The Rencontres de Montréal have
this unique ability to capture both the timeliness of photography and the
diversity of a global creation in effervescence.
Arles joins the concerns of another great festival
I want to talk about VISA in Perpignan. Indeed, the current
documents distributed on the Internet, the events of
Tunisia that I am with great attention, the retrospective of thirty
years of photographic production by the New York Times Magazine, the
works of the collective Tendence Floue, the negatives
the exceptional trio Capa-Taro-Seymour, the tribute to Roger Théron are
as many clues to this formidable contribution of photojournalism to art
and history.
This ability to grasp current events is reflected in the remarkable
installation that illustrates at the Workshops the abundance of creation
around the images conveyed on the Web. To the questions that this
revolution and this extraordinary freedom to create, the actors of the
photography that you are have a major contribution to make, to
better define the means to defend authors, to educate also the
young Internet users to respect them (“Civilizing the Internet” is also that),
to enhance the value of venues and events that demonstrate
real images, prints, tangible works, finally encourage
photography schools to open up to all the professions of creation. I
can only encourage the national higher school of the
to reinforce the essential role it plays at the heart of the project
Arlesian culture, alongside the City, local authorities and
of Maja Hoffmann and her formidable project.
I also know how this year the preparation of the Meetings was
the evolution of our relations with Mexico. I also
We look forward to the engagement you have been able to create to maintain
programming all the place that this very great country of creation deserves
photographic. I would like to greet the partners who have brought you
their support in this regard.
Two years ago, when I first came as
Minister at the Rencontres d'Arles, I had expressed my wish to
see the photograph benefit from a better consideration within the
Ministry of Culture and Communication.
Since then, the mission of photography that I created within
The Directorate-General for Heritage has undertaken many projects.
I insisted that on all subjects relating to photography, that he
the heritage aspects, but also the creation in its
or photojournalism, a single interlocutor can
be identified, so that he can work not only with the services of
public institutions, but also with all the
professionals concerned.
Not to be exhaustive, on topics I know for you
the importance, sometimes the urgency, our meeting today is
the opportunity to take stock of some important projects.
1. Regarding the future of photographic holdings, institutions
as the national library or the network of archives ensure that
for some of them, an eminent role in
conservation. However, many public institutions remain
poorly identified. In addition, many private fund holders
looking for recovery solutions that will ensure a
good conservation and better valuation. Several actions have
We are therefore committed to this.
First, the creation, within the National Museums Meeting -
Grand Palais, from the ARAGO portal, which will allow, on a single site, to
give free and direct access to all collections
national photography in a first phase, and that will open, through the
public and private collections on a voluntary basis. In
1839, Arago had revealed before the Academies of Science and
Fine Arts gathered for the occasion, the Daguerre process, and had
proposed the acquisition by the State, in order to symbolically offer it to the world.
It is in this spirit that the Arago portal is intended as a real tool for
identification and monitoring of funds, adapted to the specificity of the works
indexed in a homogeneous way. The portal, which is
presented here, will be available online in November.
I suggest you discover it and enjoy some of its
functions. (demo is launched)
The Minister may then request to see the Gray and then the work of
Bernard Plossu or Sophie Ristelhueber
of Orsay, to question the means offered to the holders of the
report to NMR etc. Demo takes 6-8 minutes
I also wanted my department to give itself the means to
respond, in a more coherent and adapted way, to the requests of
fund holders who wish to transfer funds to a community
public. So we have put in place a permanent group
experts, whose advice and opinions may be sought on the interest and
the nature of the proposed fund, their conservation prospects, the
possible opportunities for development.
In addition, the policy of enriching national collections
continues, notably with the Centre Pompidou. I can from now on
announce the acquisition, thanks to the patronage of Yves Rocher, of the collection
by Christian Bouqueret, an exceptional collection of 6,000 photographs that
covers, mainly the mythical period from 1920 to 1940 with very
many masterpieces.
I also wanted to propose the launch of an exhibition of
national dimension, which is being prepared between the institutions
dedicated to the photographer both in the regions and in the Ile de France
Paris. The objective will be to show the diversity and richness of the funds
often unknown in public collections.
2. I would now like to return to a number of actions that
we have led to strengthen the vitality and diversity of creation
as well as its diffusion. If some photographers
now find their place in the art market, the realities
economic challenges faced by most of them are
in general heavily affected by the economic situation of the
sectors of publishing. The distribution models offered by the internet remain
economic uncertainty. It is therefore important in this context, and more
that elsewhere, to be particularly vigilant regarding
developments in copyright law, particularly on the internet. To
I remain convinced that the traditional forms of dissemination of the
photography will continue: the success of books and exhibitions of
photography, the success of the Rencontres d'Arles of course, come every
year to confirm this. In the immediate future, our action is committed around
of the following:
In Paris, the installation at the Hôtel de Nevers - so close
immediate to BnF’s Richelieu Quadrilateral - with a space of about 650
m2 dedicated specifically to photography. This place will have for
to host historical exhibitions, which do not find
always in the capital of appropriate place within the institutions
will also be able to offer a regular overview of
young contemporary creation. The management of this new space will be
under the authority of Marta Gili. Taking into account the
time required to complete the work on this building, I have
requested that a prefiguration to the
Palais de Tokyo from the beginning of 2013. Work will begin
from this winter, for an exhibition next year.
By the end of the year, new order modes
will be tested. In this context, a careful
partnerships between the structures that defend
photography in France. The broadest dissemination of works as well
and their conditions of conservation and reproduction
part of the priorities of this recovery of orders. The pilotage is
entrusted to the Centre National des Arts plastiques, to the management of the
creation and mission of photography in connection with professionals,
photographers of course, but also art centers in the region, galleries,
etc...
In addition, the specific background on photojournalism,
also managed by Centre National des Arts plastiques, will be operational
as early as this autumn.
I cannot forget here the commitments I made here, he
about orphan works, recognition of the
copyright law, and abuse of use of the words "Rights reserved"
(D.R.). A corresponding bill was the subject of a first
examination in the Senate; it follows its course within the framework of the procedures
I have also asked my services to hire a
consultation process - on the basis of a draft text following the
principles of the CPI - between the various actors concerned, the agencies
and publishers. It is important that the use of a
the photograph is accompanied by the name of its author;
it is not known, this situation must be treated
specific. Account should also be taken of the specific situation of
holders of funds, whether public or private, who are responsible for them;
must in fact be able to ensure its valuation, including by the
under solid legal conditions. This consultation is
continues. I also suggested to the representatives of the professionals
to open a discussion on signing practices
photographs, to limit the use of “D.R. ”. We
must also engage as soon as possible, and with all
relevant operators, a reflection on the implementation of
research specific to orphan photographs and traceability of
broadcast images.
I also know how sensitive some of you are to
problem posed by the development of micro-stocks, and
of their image suppliers. The subject matter of
is complex, because obviously it is not purely national. I
proposes to seize from autumn the Superior Council of the property
of the question of the coherence between the conditions of
the distribution offered by the operators concerned and the principles established by the
intellectual property code.
3 I now come to the development of the Arlesian pole, which will
mobilized the services of my
in this year.
With photographic encounters and installation, almost 30 years ago,
of the National School of Photography, the city of Arles
today a major hub whose importance far exceeds our
borders. This remarkable achievement will soon be reinforced by
the installation, on the former rail wasteland of the ZAC known as the Ateliers, of
Foundation, led by Maja Hoffmann. The project of this
foundation, which was designed by architect Frank Gehry, near the site
Alyscamps, is closely monitored by the
services in charge of heritage protection. Following the opinion
by the Historical Monuments Commission, a process
consultation between the various actors was proposed by the
assets. Once equipped with the overall vision, we
ensure that the necessary administrative procedures
can be launched as soon as possible.
Finally, the National School of Photography must be able to
redeploy, in view of its current development – I am thinking of the transition to
LMD, the need to control the various forms of
image production and processing, both digital and silver,
4
partnerships with French and foreign universities, the
training. This new equipment will include the
the conservation centre I proposed two years ago,
giving students access to author funds that will constitute the
their study and research - like institutions
equivalent. All identified needs in terms of
Useful area corresponds to about 5000 m2.
As soon as its implementation has been definitively fixed on the ZAC of
Workshops, in close cooperation with the City of Arles and the Luma Foundation,
I want the architecture competition to be launched, if possible, as soon as this
in accordance with the planned schedule, for entry into the
in the fall of 2015.
Whether it is the future of photographic holdings, support for the
creation and dissemination, or the development of this formidable
pole of attraction that became Arles for photography, I hope that
all these measures will allow to accompany as it deserves
an art more flourishing than ever.
Finally, two figures that illustrate my desire to accompany history and
changes in photography: in 2011 the overall budget of the means
dedicated to photography by the Ministry of Culture and
communication is €9.5 million. It will be €10 million in 2012.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge once again the energy of all the
this long-term adventure that is the vast and ambitious cultural project
from Arles.

Know that the Minister of Culture and Communication is at your
dear Maya Hoffmann, dear Michel Vauzelle, dear Hervé Schiavetti.
Please know that he will spare no effort to complete this project.
I will be, with my office, the mission of photography and directions
always ready to accompany and facilitate the success of projects
of Presidents Patrick de Carolis and Jean-Nöël Jeanneney, of
their directors, Rémy Fenzi and François Hebel and all those who
of Maya Hoffmann and Franck Gehry, have committed to a
rare enough: combining transmission, education and
images, heritage development and the living contribution of
archives to contemporary creation.

Thank you