Tag Archives: Arles

Politics

The wind in Arles blows from the right

Text by Hannah Levitan
Photos by Surya Vaidy

In Arles, a small city of Roman monuments and narrow streets, the politics had long been reliably left, and for decades, the town’s mayors were from the Socialist or Communist party.

But as the ancient town’s economy shifted from a working-class community, deeply rooted in its Provençal traditions, to one reliant on tourism, the town’s politics too, have evolved. 

Flags of different political groups and social groups waved above the crowds during the entire rally. Photo by Surya Vaidy.

On June 30, France witnessed the largest voter turnout for a new National Assembly in decades, with 65.8% of the population casting their ballots in the first round of voting.

In the run-off elections on July 7, the turnout was 63%. The New Popular Front, a new leftist coalition, won a plurality of seats. But in Arles, the extreme right-wing candidate, Emmanuel Taché de la Pagerie, was reelected with 56% of the vote.

In the European Union elections, held between June 6 and June 9, the the National Rally, a far-right party known for its anti-immigration and nationalist policies, emerged with historic success. Within two days, the country’s four main left parties united to block the party.

“The threat of the rise of the far-right has never been so strong,” Emilie Pautus, a bookseller in Arles, said. “The mobilization in response has been stronger than usual to counter the threat.”

In the weeks leading up to the first round of elections, Nicolas Koukas, a representative of the French Communist Party and candidate for the New Popular Front, was making his rounds in the Bouches-du-Rhône Department’s 16th constituency. 

Campaigning through its diverse neighborhoods, open-air markets and rural farmhouses, Koukas was eager to secure votes as much for himself as against the National Rally. 

“A few years ago, we looked at the United States with Trump coming to power and we were very worried. [We thought] it was far away and not our situation,” Koukas said. “But now we realize, unfortunately, that the far right is here.” 

The fear, expressed by many who are not National Rally supporters, was that the party would threaten civil liberties and fuel discrimination against minorities. 

Kobaa Driss, manager of Moroccan restaurant Menara, said he witnessed a man rip off a woman’s hijab in a supermarket.

“The man said, ‘What are you doing here? Go back home!’ and he started insulting the woman,” Driss said.

Already, Pautus said the town feels more divided. “I don’t see how we could regain unity, at least not right now.”

One Arles resident, Emmanuelle Laurent, the director of communications for the city of Arles, believes that the political difficulty in France, since the beginning of the 2000s, is that all elections have become about blocking the National Rally. “Voters have become used to voting not necessarily for a party they truly support.” 

But it was in this region, the Bouches-du-Rhône, where the first candidates from that party’s predecessor, the National Front, were elected.

“I live in a village where the [National Rally] deputy was elected with 60% of the vote in the last two successive elections,” Laurent said. “I think this can be explained by the fact that people are very attached to their traditions.”

In the first round of snap elections, 40% of the vote in Arles went to National Rally candidate Taché de la Pagerie, despite the New Popular Front’s action throughout the district. 

“I think we’ve become aware of the huge difference between the urban population of downtown Arles, which is mostly left-leaning, and the more rural population around it,” Pautus said. But in the first round of voting on June 30, the difference was less pronounced, she said.

Preparing for the second round of parliament elections on July 7, the town’s walls were covered in campaign flyers, most in support of the New Popular Front.

While the leftist coalition won nationally, the National Rally still emerged strong in Arles.

The election left many people wondering how the government could function so evenly divided in three political camps. “I think it generally means that we have reached a society where people don’t really want to live together anymore, and I think we all feel that,” Pautus said.

Feature photo: New Popular Front candidate Nicolas Koukas speaks during a rally against the rise of the far right in France on June 22, 2024. Photo by Surya Vaidy. Interpretation by Monica Ronco and Claire Fanchini.

Arts, Postcards

What Photography Taught a Fiction Writer

Text and photos by McCade Hayes

When I first arrived in Arles, I was not greeted by the sun. Rather, when I stepped off the train and into the small formerly Roman city, it was in the early night. I walked to my hostel, exhausted from the full day of travel and sweaty from carrying all of my belongings split between two backpacks. The walk through the night carried with it a mystique in the shadowy corners of the streets that my mind’s imagination began to fill in.

I came to Arles with the intention of making a first attempt at photography, in hopes that it would help to improve my primary craft, writing. After a conversation with Malcolm Taylor, my housemate and a photographer, I decided to take my photos in black and white. This is because taking photos in this style can help to exemplify the form and lighting of a scene. So in the city of Arles, home of the renowned Les Rencontres photography festival, and day-long amazing natural light, I set out to take photos. Here are some of the results.

This amplification of shadows and the form or silhouettes in my pictures, revealed something that I could apply in my writing craft. I found that by changing the camera exposure to darken the lighting while shooting in black and white, the photo’s tone flipped on its head. In the more exposed photos, the walls feel open and welcoming as the city of Arles actually feels.

In the under-exposed photo, the aesthetics changed to a more gothic and slightly unsettling photo that leaves the viewer feeling almost as though the walls close in around them and brings their eyes more towards the sky, or towards escape.

The lighter tones of this photo give a more open feeling to the walls of Arles. Photo by McCade Hayes.
In contrast to the image above, the less exposed photo of the same scene creates a feeling of oppression.

This idea has led me to a conclusion that light as part of setting should be used and exemplified at points within creative written works as well. For example, when setting a scene I can apply this knowledge by considering where in the setting I decide to place the reader’s point of view with considerations of form included. To expand on what I mean by form, the importance of objects, characters and other concepts in a scene is often dictated by the amount of words or space a description of that thing takes up on the page. This also can be applied in a less figurative way, where I describe the lighting in scenes to convey tone, importance, or meaning to the readers.

I was pushed far outside of my comfort zone in the first few weeks of working in this program. By changing my environment completely, down to the language that I am speaking, and the work that I am producing. I have been able to learn a lot about the common ground of creative writing and photography, especially in regards to establishing setting and tone, lessons that I can continue to practice and learn from even after this program.

Postcards

Notes of Chronically Stressed American Student Living in Arles

Text and photos by Surya Vaidy

Pick any random person who has known me for a decent amount of time and ask: Do you think Surya is stressed? The answer would be YES. I don’t say this to boast, to claim that I am somehow winning a competition because I am constantly stressed. Rather, I say it because I’m self-aware of the fact that I am awful at managing my work-life balance. I’ve wholly subscribed to the hustle culture that makes the modern era function — working crazy overtime, working through lunch and dinner, taking calls and responding to messages at all times of the day, etc. I’m a devotee of the hustle, much to the chagrin of my friends and family. Even my own doctor has kindly asked me to “please do better, buddy.” Easier said than done. 

When I applied to take an international journalism course abroad, I imagined I would simply transpose my lifestyle to France. The hustle would continue at all costs. 

Quickly I realized that this was not the case in a city like Arles. People here take their personal time very, very, very seriously. Everything moves at a leisurely pace. At first, it was so alien to me. Back home, I am always ready to work, constantly caffeinated and on-edge. Once in Arles, it was as though I decelerated from 1,000 to 10 miles per hour in a matter of 24 hours. 

It’s been more than two weeks since I’ve arrived in the beautiful city of Arles, and I’ve acquired a deep taste for the slow life. The life where I wake up at 8 a.m. and go for a walk, find a café that serves fresh croissants and strong coffee, and then sit outside watching the birds sing and fly overhead. It’s the life where, after working my required hours of work, I meander around the city watching others live the slow life, just absorbing my surroundings and watching people laugh and embrace each other in the night light. I finally feel like I have the time to do so. I haven’t felt this way in a long time. 

A bird flies far above Arles during the late afternoon.

Being in Arles is a reminder that I have time. It’s so simple a realization that I need to repeat it to myself constantly, because I’m afraid to forget it again. Being realistic, it’s not all play. Obviously, I still need to push myself to accomplish what I wish to do, especially when I have to return to America and go back to my usual schedule. But if there’s a lesson to be learned from Arles, it’s that you have to hold on to your own time with your own two hands, or it will constantly slip away or be taken up. 

When I return home, I believe it will be with a better sense of personal balance. I’ll take the effort to slow down and save some time for myself.

Environment, Postcards

Trash to treasure, the Rhône swallows it all

Photos and text by Thomas Murphy

As I walked along the Rhône during my first week in Arles, I noticed an old couch beneath the south end of the Pont de Trinquetaille. Beside it sat the remains of a Heineken 12-pack. I had clearly stumbled upon a local drinking spot, so I took out my camera and made a photo of the uniquely placed furniture. 

As I moved on from the couch, continuing down the side of the river, a man looked at me as he passed by. I thought nothing of this fellow pedestrian until I heard a loud splash from behind me. I turned to see the man walking away from the bridge and the couch floating in the Rhône.

With such an odd scene set before me, I jumped into action and began snapping pictures. Running up and down the many stairs leading to the water, I followed this cushioned raft until it began to slip beneath the surface of the Rhône.

As it sank, I began to think about what other random things could be sitting at the bottom of the massive river. I imagined layers of objects from throughout history making up the seabed, with modern-day garbage resting atop ancient relics. Turns out I wasn’t far off from reality.

The Arles-Rhône 3 is on display in the Musee departemental Arles antique.

When the Arles-Rhône 3 sank around 50 to 60 A.D., the transport ship was resigned to the depths of the Rhône River that cuts through the ancient city. It saw the light of day once again after a team from the Musée départemental Arles antique resurfaced the vessel as a part of a project to dredge up the countless relics lost to the river.

The ship is now on display in the center of a section showcasing the river’s treasures. It is surrounded by and filled with the amphoras, cut limestone and metal bricks that it once carried up and down the Rhône amongst other relics from the time.

The Roman Empire, under the rule of Julius Caesar, inducted Arles into the empire in 46 AD. This turned the city into a prominent sea-river port and spurred the expansion of the city,  which grew to include the arena, forum and amphitheater we see in the center of Arles today.

The Arles-Rhône 3, and other ships like it, were integral to the flow of trade in and out of Arles. The markings on much of the discovered lost cargo allowed archaeologists to form an idea of the trade networks that connected Arles to the Mediterranean, which reached Carrara in the North of Italy and the Iberian Peninsula.

Stonework from the Roman era is on display in the Musée départemental Arles antique.

Amazed by such wonderfully preserved pieces of humanity’s history, I began my walk back into town. As I strolled alongside the Rhône yet again, I was reminded of how the boys from the Arlesian family I’m living with and I had biked from a picnic party the night before, going through a thicket to find a small, eroding section of riverbank along the Rhône. 

There, we found a fire extinguisher floating within reach of the massive stick we had just pulled from a bush. We found that the extinguisher had expired in 2004. The fire extinguisher now sits on the floor of the shower in my host brothers’ bathroom. They intend to clean it and mount it on their wall.

A fire extinguisher is one of the newer relics salvaged from the Rhône River.

As I go over these memories in my mind, I am reminded of the peril that our world is in. Today, humanity continues leaving its mark on the Earth, creating a legacy that will show exactly how we lived our lives. Unfortunately, the legacy of our current era will not be of ancient wonder, but one of filth and reckless waste. Plastic and trash fills our rivers and seas, polluting them and choking life from the natural world. A couch sinks below the water’s surface. A fire extinguisher floats by. The rising waters eat away at the riverbank.

The world is experiencing change at an unprecedented rate because we are affecting it at a level never seen before in our history, but why is that? Recklessness. Humanity has acted upon this impulse for centuries, to burn whatever we have to in the interest of constant growth. A random passerby throwing a couch into a river embodies humanity’s comfort in a world where excessive waste is the norm and its destructive force is not fully recognized.

Postcards, Traditions

A Vegetarian Explores Arles

Text and photo by Ania Johnston

Vegetarianism is easy most places–you just need to get creative.

I recently stumbled over a curious fact posted by France Today: “Over 5% of the French population is vegetarian, compared with 10% in the United Kingdom, or up to 40% in India.” I guess what they were trying to say is that it’s a low percentage and ultimately it’s pretty hard to survive here as a herbivore. But in my experience, it’s easier to get vegetarian food than to explain my vegetarianism to locals.

Here is my brief guide to navigating the land of vegetarian scarcity. I hope that you’ll find it very French and very veggie-friendly. 

1: Prioritize eating at home over restaurants. 

My first day here in Arles, I found out that I had been matched to a vegetarian host family. Since that day, they have cooked only one meal with meat as the main dish — chicken — primarily because they had meat-eating guests over. My first night in Arles, I was treated with a gorgeous rice-based meal with tofu and asparagus. I couldn’t complain. 

You may not find yourself in such a lucky situation. So, I suggest the second you step off your train–jet-lagged and sweltering from the high-noon heat–put your bags down in your Airbnb and go out looking for your local patisserie, fromagerie, then a cheeky little cave à vin. (I didn’t say I would be appealing to the gluten-free or dairy-free here. You all may be out of luck.)

In my case, I was able to find this fantastic Bio store right in downtown Arles by the LUMA. It’s got everything you’d ever need and more and I suggest you stock up because living on Mediterranean time means that from noon to 2 pm, and on Sunday, most grocery stores will be closed.

2: If you have to go to restaurants it’s easy!

Ordering anxiety is real. Vegetarian options are real too. You got this.

Start thinking like a local rather than a tourist. The classic dish in Arles (and allegedly the entire south of France) is gardiane de taureau–bull stew. It comes from the tradition of bullfighting, and it is NOT veg-friendly. Duh. Luckily, no one is making you order this, and there are plenty of other options.

One thing that tourists might find confusing here is the formule also known as the “deal meal.” This typically includes a main dish, a coffee, and a dessert, and it comes at a fixed price. These are rarely vegetarian so if you find yourself at a restaurant that has their big formule on display, ask for the menu!

During lunch hours this dish is usually most popular and some restaurants may not offer up the menu right away. I promise you, however, the menu will include a nice salad (maybe even with some local olives and burrata.) If you find yourself unable to locate any veggie mains, one of my favorite tricks is getting an assortment of appetizers. It’s especially fun in a big group and if you order the grande planche (large board) you’ll be able to satiate your meat-lover friends too.

3. Get creative with it!

You don’t have to be boring to be vegetarian. It’s not all salads and grazing– especially in a Mediterranean hub like France! 

One of my favorite things to do is visit the Arles farmer’s market on Wednesday or Saturday mornings and just have a field day with the various stands. “Je voudrais…”

I often go to an olive stand that my French instructor showed us our first week in Arles and I love to get the spicy olives and the garlic ones. Just like every other Mediterranean dish they are covered in oil and Herbes de Provence and they are so tasty. The best thing is to get some brie, grab yourself a baguette, even some fougasse and indulge in fresh tomatoes or peppers.

A little bundle of strawberries isn’t all that bad for dessert either. Once you’ve gathered your goods take a walk to the Parc des Ateliers and find a shady patch of grass. 

Bon appetit!

Arts, Traditions

Arles tunes in

By The Arles Project Staff

Arlesians gathered in the city’s many plazas to enjoy performances from local musicians and students June 21 as part of the nationwide Fête de la Musique.

”It’s alive,” said Arles resident and music student Maria Del Mar. “It is the moment to be. You are concentrating on what you are doing and people are watching and feeling you and exchanging with you.”

Dancers at Place Genive. Photo by Thomas Murphy.

Fête de la Musique has annually animated French streets every June 21 since 1982.

This year, students from Conservatoire du Pays d’Arles, a local music school, showcased their musical talents at Le Capitole in La Roquette.

The eldest of the three sisters, Judith, aspires to specialize in classical music. However, for her, the fun is in the familial aspect of her musical endeavors. “It’s very nice playing with my sisters because I can help them. I really like when we can practice together and play all together.”

Judith and Madeleine Drilleau. Photo by Elizabeth Coleman

Helping her band, The Sheshs, set up, Lisa Guibaud said that this festival is great for the city because it attracts even more tourists to Arles. “It makes the city alive, so it is really cool,” Guibaud said. 

At La Place Voltaire, children gathered to watch and even perform. “If I am in France and there is la Fête de la Musique, I go” said Yodit Kebede, the mother of a young performer. Kebede has been attending the festival since her own childhood.

Children were as engaged as their parents. Photo by Solange Jain.

Young students from a nearby music school came out to perform hit classic rock songs such as “Boys Don’t Cry” by The Cure and “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits.

“I think people are drawn to the rhythm,” said Marco Xavier, who was taking in the scene. “Our bodies have a rhythm, too.” This sentiment was also seen in the west end of La Roquette, where residents gathered to sing, dance, and enjoy delicious food. Among the songs sung by the assembled choir was one titled “Gentrifica,” a song that expressed local frustrations with the rising costs of housing due to the spread of Airbnbs.

Guitar detail. Photo by Malcolm Taylor.

Liam Franceschi is a twelve-year-old student at Studio Franceschi, a music studio in Arles, France. He has a variety of talents, including playing the piano, electric guitar and singing, which he has been doing for five years and counting. “I started singing by myself and wanted to start learning the lyrics and sing with other people,” Franceschi said.

His father, the director of the school, has taught him many skills. Liam doesn’t have a favorite genre to play or sing to, but he does not enjoy French rap as much.

Liam Franceschi and a fellow band member. Photo by Karla Valdez.

The celebration brought a stream of business to cafes and restaurants such as Floris Artisan Glacier in the Place de Republique. “It is the opening of the season, it is the moment where people start to come and all and it is a festivity when all the bars and restaurants start to organize everything,” said Pascal Jeom-Phillipe.

Left to right: Bruno Arnold, Pascal Jeom-Philippe and Edwin Noel. Photo by Sophia Maxim.

The day ended with a collective concert held by Rockette Records in front of the Saint-Trophime Primital Church in Place de la République, with flashing lights, and fog for a rave. The featured performers were Makassa, Vax Populi, Bison Bison Falling Down, Salah, and DJ Transition. The energy of the crowd was electrifying with people standing on top of each other and screaming their hearts out all night long.

The evening ended with a blast. Photo by Autumn DeGrazia.

Video by Hannah Levitan

Reported by Thomas Murphy, Karla Valdez, McCade Hayes, Morgan Lily Neuhauser, Lydia Perez, and Judas Wiley. Featured image by Surya Vaidy.

Politics

Leftist politicians speak at Arles demonstration

Story by Sofia Langlois
Photos by Thomas Murphy
Video by Sophia Maxim

Citizens of Arles in support of a new left-wing coalition gathered at Place de la République on June 22. Theirs was one of many recent protests across France opposing the far-right Rassemblement National in a contest for control of the National Assembly.

The event provided an opportunity for leftist political candidates to take aim not only at the National Rally but at incumbent President Emmanuel Macron. 

“He is not interested in Arles,” said Nicolas Koukas of the French Communist Party, who is running for the 16th electoral district of the Bouches-du-Rhône. “And we need to have in the country elected territorial officials who know people, who know their worries, who know their problems.”

Koukas is a candidate of the Nouveau Front Populaire, a wide-ranging leftist alliance formed on June 10 in response to Macron’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly. The organizations involved include La France Insoumise, Les Écologistes, Place Publique, the French Communist Party and the French Socialist Party, among others. 

The Nouveau Front Populaire formed in opposition to the Rassemblement National, a right-wing French nationalist party that promotes populist and anti-immigrant values. It was founded by politician Jean-Marie Le Pen in 1972 and was formerly known as the Front National. The party gained popularity after it acquired a less extremist image under the leadership of his daughter, Marine Le Pen.

Protestors sheltered under umbrellas while listening to candidates, including Nicolas Koukas (facing the crowd, second from right,) Photo by Thomas Murphy.

In the European Union elections of June 6, the right wing gained seats in delegations of many of the 27 member countries. In France, the centrist Renaissance Party, led by Macron, received 14.6% of the vote, significantly defeated by the Rassemblement National, which received 31.6% of the vote.

Macron dissolved the National Assembly, thus launching early legislative elections in France. The two rounds of voting will take place on June 30 and July 7.

Koukas, a citizen of Arles, delivered an impassioned speech at the June 22 protest. “Where is [Macron] in the fights?” he asked. “Where is he in the struggle?” Koukas suggested Macron’s administration had neglected public services such as the Arles Hospital and Miramas’ public freight service.

Koukas encouraged the people of Arles to push for a selection of government officials who have their interests at heart. He accused the president of neglecting Arles as a prominent city in the nation. 

“He is not there. He is nowhere. He is elsewhere,” said Koukas.

Macron’s presidential term ends in 2027 and left-wing supporters are trying to prevent Le Pen from entering government. If the far right gains a majority, the president would likely appoint Jordan Bardella as prime minister, granting him limited authority over domestic and economic affairs. Bardella would serve under the terms of cohabitation laws, which gives the position to the party with the majority of seats in the National Assembly.

As a means of preventing conservative politicians such as Le Pen and Bardella from holding office, those in opposition took to protesting. The movement quickly gained traction and demonstrations have been held in several cities.

Koukas concluded his speech by promoting the Nouveau Front Populaire. He emphasized that its leadership does not define the group but rather the citizens who support the left-wing values it was built on. 

“We will be there to defend,” Koukas said. “That is what brings us together today and what makes us strong because the Popular Front is not Christophe or Nicolas. The popular front is you.”

Sophia Maxim contributed to this report.

Featured image: Nouveau Front Populaire candidate Nicolas Koukas and others march on rue Gambetta in Arles. Photo by Thomas Murphy.

Postcards

Exchanging Glances

Walking hand-in-hand toward Place Voltaire, a mother and her small child sent opposing signals as we crossed paths. The woman glanced briefly at me, only for her eyes to revert forward. She was focused on the road ahead, seemingly unable to respond to my smile.

Her daughter grinned warmly at me and even turned her head to sustain eye contact once we were no longer facing each other. Neither of them recognized me, but the child felt inclined to match my expression. I considered the interaction pleasant, and my smile remained for another few steps. I looked to the left and noticed a man smirking at me. His look was not similar to that of the young girl I had just encountered. I felt inexplicably uneasy and shifted my eyes to the ground. 

In moments of passing, I feel compelled to engage in nonverbal communication with most Arlesians, as if to say, “I notice you and you seem nice.” Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is better to avoid interacting with certain strangers completely. 

Catcalling is a regular occurrence across this city and countless others. It seems as though certain men lurk on sidewalks for the sole purpose of leering at women. I close myself off at times to avoid unwanted advances. This is not to imply that any men I encounter in Arles are potentially dangerous or violent. Their attention simply evokes discomfort on my end. 

I find it interesting that there are conflicting reactions between age groups. Little girls tend not to understand that smiling at anyone and everyone may send a particular message to creepy people that it is okay for them to approach you. 

These interactions contribute to my general awareness. At one point or another, adolescents learn that not everyone is to be trusted. Before I came to this realization myself, I believed that the whole world interacted in the same manner as the small child and me. 

I typically keep my eyes fixed and my head held high when walking to or from school. If well-intended adults smile at me, I either cannot tell or do not have enough time to return the favor. It is easier to stay shut off than to make 100 individual decisions about who is safe to smile at and who is not. Maybe the girl’s mother and I shared this attitude. 

There is no real method of determining whether a particular person is fixed on their destination as a defense mechanism or simply not interested in communicating with others at a given time. Smiling at “inconnus,” those you do not know, is much less common in France than in the United States, leading to both positive and negative outcomes.

I was previously taken aback by its infrequency in Arles. My newfound understanding is that displaying any sort of expression opens a person up to assumptions from others. I cannot automatically assume that someone who does not smile at me is rude. Every expression holds a purpose.

Arts, Postcards

Inclusive efforts misfire at LUMA Arles

Story and photos by Kylie Clifton

LUMA Arles is not just an art museum. Guests enter the whimsical, stainless steel-clad LUMA Tower to meet intertwining metal slides accompanied by the eerie echoes of an hourly singing exhibition composed only of sounds. The design inspires excitement and confusion alike — a theme that continues far beyond the entrance. Inside the exhibits, visitors are encouraged to touch the work as if they’re an active member in the creation.

My visit there brings to mind “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Much like Charlie’s journey in Roald Dahl’s children’s book, in which a grim reality was revealed just beyond a fanciful entrance, my troubling fate awaited me beneath a staircase, one of many unique sets of stairs, this one mirrored a double helix.

Our group of American students stood together in a tired sweat as we surrounded our English-speaking tour guide. She introduced an exhibit featuring work by Diane Arbus, an American photographer who published most of her work during the 1960s. Arbus is most recognized for her style of direct and intimate photographs of “social deviants,” which often included members of the LGBTQ+ community, drag artists, nudists and sex workers.

The LUMA Arles exhibition “Constellation” is, with 454 photographs, the largest presentation to date of Diane Arbus’ work.

In introducing the exhibit, the tour guide said, “Diane Arbus’ subjects included … homosexuals and transvestites.”

My mind stopped, and I was taken back to Pride 2019 in New York City. Outside a sea of rainbow joy, transphobic protesters roared vile messages and “transvestite” was their slur of choice.

However, the tour guide’s usage was different. She wasn’t angry; she was addressing the subjects of Arbus’ work in a calm manner. I was struck. I had only heard this word paired with rage. I kept asking myself two questions: “How could this be said so casually? Is it possible they said the wrong word?”

I raised my hand, my only instrument to break the silence. “Why is it necessary to use the word transvestite?”

“Is there a different word you’d prefer?” the tour guide responded.

“Well, perhaps the word transgender or…” I offered.

Before I could finish my sentence, the tour guide told me there is a significant difference between the words transgender and transvestite. In the same breath, she said this was the language tour guides were instructed to use for a plethora of reasons — including the fact that Arbus used that word to title her works.

I knew the difference between the words and realized I should have used the word cross-dresser. The 11th edition of the GLAAD Media Reference Guide says cross-dresser has “replaced the offensive word ‘transvestite.’”

The tour guide serves as an educator and, in that role, has tremendous influence. I fear if global visitors to LUMA Arles hear a tour guide using the word, they will use it, too, without realizing how offensive it is.

This usage of this word upset me in 2019 and now again in 2023 for the same reason, but I too often forget that strangers don’t know why. I think everyone should be concerned about the usage of offensive language, but this word cuts deeper for me. I came out as transgender over eight years ago with pride and fear that still lives inside me. Today I have the privilege of “passing” as the woman that I am.

Each day I function like the entire universe knows that I am transgender. I’m always on guard, but it’s a personal battle only I’m aware of. To my knowledge, the LUMA tour guide didn’t know. This left me thinking, if she had known would she have used the word transvestite around me?

I take issue with the fact that Arbus had enormous power over her subjects. She was a cisgender white woman who was born into a wealthy family. There is a distinct power dynamic in which she held a remarkable amount of privilege over her subjects. She’s celebrated for her intimate portrayals of underrepresented subjects, but to me all of her work feels exploitative, as if she crossed a line that wasn’t hers to cross. I’m not the first to raise this issue; it was debated in her own era. 

Yes, this was language that was used at the time, but the term transgender was coined in the 1960s, and people had been challenging the gender binary long before then. It’s possible that some of the drag artists Arbus photographed identified as transgender but hadn’t begun transitioning or more likely feared to start. We don’t know, but using more neutral language or even supplying context for the word would be an act of respect to Arbus’ subjects.

Instead, the conversation with the tour guide became an uncomfortable argument. This was not my intention, and as it continued, I felt the eyes of my peers with pain. What was I doing? As a proud and open trans woman, I am acutely aware of how important it is for me to speak up, but I always forget how difficult it is to do.

At the moment the group was silent, I had to excuse myself. My embarrassing fear was realized, I was the trans woman tearing up in the corner who couldn’t handle confrontation. However, I can recognize now this was not weakness, but strength.

At the close of my tour, I wanted nothing more than to leave and never be seen again. As a trans woman I yearn to be accepted in every space I enter, and often I’m the only one in the room. I wish to be able to blend in and be quiet. This time I spoke up.

After the tour, I spoke privately with the guide. She was apologetic and pledged to speak with her superiors about the use of the word. I recognize that the tour guide was not acting out of malice, but I question the attention to inclusive language in her training.

I don’t care what she titled her pieces; Arbus should not be the authority to follow.

This is a personal reflection and does not necessarily express the opinion of The Arles Project or program sponsors ieiMedia or Arles à la carte.

Places

Arles feels ripples of racial conflict

Story by Ella Slade

While only a 15-minute walk from the city center, the Griffeuille, one of Arles’ three quartiers populaires, resembles an entirely different city. As you approach from downtown, the Roman architecture and tourist-target boutiques fade into clusters of large, uniform housing projects. 

Many people from these housing projects never go to the city center and vice versa, according to Fanny Petit, the coordinator of La Collective, a non-profit association in Arles that provides social and psychological services for women. “It’s like there is a frontier, an invisible frontier.”

One of the housing projects in Griffeuille, a quartier populaire in Arles. Photo by Ella Slade.

Recent events have shined a spotlight on those living in France’s quartiers populaires. On June 27, in Nanterre, a town in the western suburbs of Paris, 17-year-old Nahel M. was fatally shot in the chest by police, for driving off during a traffic check. The recent death of the teenager, who neighbors said was from a family of Algerian origin, triggered rioting and clashes with police around Paris and other communities throughout France.

In Arles, the reality is complex, leaving both urban and suburban communities with conflicting feelings of solidarity and estrangement. While the Griffeuille  may not seem attractive to tourists, it is rich with diversity and home to a close-knit community, said Zachariah Yazidi, a resident of the Griffeuille, who compared himself to a local mail carrier.  “We all know each other, we’re like a big family. 

Quartiers populaires are categorized based on household income, communities where the median income is equal to, or less than, 60% of the national median wage (1,800€/month). The people who live in these communities are two times more likely to be immigrants than the national average and three times more likely to be unemployed, according to the Institut Montaigne. 

A similar, but not interchangeable, term used is banlieue, meaning a set of administratively autonomous neighborhoods that surround an urban center.

Although it is the largest city in France by land area, Arles has a relatively small population of around 50,000 inhabitants. 

While riots broke out even in many small French towns, protesters assembled peacefully June 30 in Arles’ Place de la République.

People gather for a peaceful assembly on June 30 to protest the killing by police of Nahel M. on June 27. Photo by Deni Chamberlin.

Victor Parodi, who lives in Arles and will attend the University of Paul Valery in the fall, said he thinks that since Arles is a fairly small city, it does not host much social activism. 

“You can see right away when you go to the biggest cities like Lyon, Marseille, Paris. This is where there is the most movement, and where there has been the most revolt and break-up,” Parodi said. “For example, I went to Marseille today. The riots were still two weeks ago and there were dozens of stores with the windows that were totally broken, stores that were looted, that were broken, stolen from.”

“It is also not necessarily in small towns where we will see these riots. The purpose of a riot is to see it everywhere, and in small towns people won’t necessarily see them,” said Samuel Lacassin, a recent graduate of Lycée Louis Pasquet in Arles.

The assembly in Arles included three audio broadcasts of testimonies from Nahel’s family, as well as other victims of civil rights violations and police brutality. 

“There were 200 people [present], which is not enormous, but it’s consequential for the city of Arles, and there were 50 to 70 young people who came from the banlieue,” said Camille, an organizer of the assembly in Arles who spoke to The Arles Project on the condition of using a pseudonym. “Normally, in these political activist gatherings, most people are White and from the center of town.”

According to Camille, many who attended the assembly in Arles were social activists who have demonstrated together in the past. 

Throughout the assembly, those in attendance were given time to speak and pose questions to law enforcement officials who were present. 

“They immediately asked simple questions about their feelings,” Camille said. “A young boy, who is 11, talked about racism that he already knows, as he is a victim of racism at this age, which is very young. He asked the policeman, ‘Why do you arrest only Arabic and Black people, and why do you control them?’” 

The officers, who stood on the periphery of the assembly, did not respond. A spokesperson for the Arles bureau of the national police told The Arles Project no one was available to comment by press time. 

A graffito in Arles calls for “Justice for Nahel,” the Nanterre youth killed by a police officer. Photo by Ella Slade.

According to Camille, even a simple gathering in homage to Nahel and to denounce police racism is considered a threat to government officials in France. The problem is not just the racism of individual officers, Camille said. “It’s the laws around it, and how to live with systemic racism in the states and with the police in particular.”

“In places like the banlieue, where they’re not investing a lot of money and energy into making life better for these people, giving them more work opportunities, and giving them more education opportunities, obviously, there’s going to be economic difficulties,” said Sydney Firsching, an Arles-based intern at SOS Racisme, an organization which aims to combat discrimination and promote community cooperation. “All crime is a result of economic difficulties, really, in most cases, in many communities.” 

Police stop teenagers in the Paris banlieue sometimes multiple times per day, she said.

That’s similar to the reality experienced by Cosmo Arnold, who also recently graduated from Lycée Louis Pasquet in Arles.

“Just the difference between how you interact with the police, for example, between the center of town and [the fashionable neighborhood] La Roquette, is two different worlds,” Arnold said. “I mean, they won’t do a thing if you’re in town, [but] they will chase you if you do a single bad thing outside of town, not even that far away.” 

How can the cycle of poverty, over policing and violence end? “I think it [starts] by taking a step back and realizing how abnormal it is to have a police force that’s defending the state and the interests of a few over everyone else,” Arnold said. “And it’s all about not normalizing it. It’s by normalizing it, that it becomes more prevalent.” 

Yazidi agrees. “As I explained to you, we are like a big family, and that’s why France is rising up. If someone killed someone in your family, someone you know, [you] would rise. At some point, people need to shout to be listened to by the government.”