Women In Motion supports women photographers

Women In Motion and Les Rencontres d’Arles

Kering created the Women In Motion program in 2015 to combat gender inequality in the film industry, by highlighting women’s contribution to every aspect of moviemaking. With its firm belief that creativity and culture are powerful drivers for change, the Group extended the program to include photography in 2016 by supporting the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles. In 2019, Kering joined forces with Les Rencontres d’Arles to include Women In Motion in the program of the renowned photographic festival. Together, they launched the Women In Motion Award for photography and the Women In Motion LAB. The latter devoted its first two years to a project focusing on women’s place in the world history of photography.

For its second edition, the award is presented to Franco-Swiss photographer, Sabine Weiss. Born in 1924, she has a unique place in the history of photography. As the last remaining representative of the humanist school of photography, the work of Sabine Weiss is dedicated to portrayals of people’s daily lives and to capturing their emotions.
For nearly 60 years, she has carried out photo-reportage, portraits, fashion shoots and advertising photos for the likes of Vogue, the New York Times Magazine, Life and Esquire. With help from Robert Doisneau, around 1952, she joined the Rapho photo agency, with her work soon gaining recognition in the United States, including an exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago. 

The Women In Motion podcast

On the occasion of the award presentation, Sabine Weiss has recorded an episode of the Women In Motion podcast to encourage discussion about the representation of women in culture and the arts. Interviewed by Géraldine Sarratia, she describes her very early attraction to photography, her career in France and abroad, and the challenges she has faced as a woman in a field that was considered to be male-dominated in the 1960s. Enjoy listening!

Discover the other episodes of the Women In Motion podcast

Women In Motion and Elles X Paris Photo

In 2020, Kering is further underlining its commitment to women photographers by partnering with the Paris Photo art fair to support the 2020 Elles X Paris Photo path organized by the French Ministry of Culture. To make up for the cancellation of the scheduled 2020 edition, which is traditionally held at Le Grand Palais, a digital version of the exhibition has been created at ellesxparisphoto.com. Featuring about 30 photographers, including Sabine Weiss, it provides an opportunity for them to share their views on their status as women artists, their commitments in terms of activism, and their sources of inspiration.