Grand Duchess Stéphanie Attends Lët'z Arles Tenth Anniversary

On Thursday 9 July 2026, Luxembourg's Ministry of Culture reported that Grand Duchess Stéphanie and Minister of Culture Eric Thill had attended the Rencontres d'Arles international photography festival in France on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 July, marking the tenth anniversary of the Lët'z Arles initiative.

According to the ministry, the anniversary programme highlighted Luxembourg photography and the legacy of Edward Steichen, one of the world's leading photographers and a figure closely associated with Luxembourg.

The exhibitions "Monsieur Steichen" and "The Nature of Edward Steichen" are being presented at La Mécanique Générale on the LUMA Arles site. Offering two complementary perspectives on Steichen's work and legacy, they were produced in collaboration with Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean for Monsieur Steichen and the National Museum of Archaeology, History and Art (MNAHA) for The Nature of Edward Steichen.

The ministry noted that the two exhibitions also highlight the richness of Luxembourg's collections. The works on display come from the collections of the MNAHA, the City of Luxembourg and Spuerkeess, with the support of the Edward Steichen Estate. The Ministry of Culture's Steichen Collections Commission also contributed to the project.

Grand Duchess Stéphanie and Minister Thill also attended the presentation of the publication "Edward Steichen – Nature on Stage", which accompanies the exhibition dedicated to the artist. Minister Thill also visited the exhibitions "R comme Regarder, le livre photo jeunesse" and "Marie-Claude Deffarge et Gordian Troeller, Des images qui ne font pas rêver", both co-produced by the Centre national de l'audiovisuel (CNA).

Alongside the official programme, Minister Thill met two Luxembourg artists in residence in Arles: Neckel Scholtus, winner of the Luxembourg Photography Award x CNA Grant 2026, and Marie Capesius, winner of the LUPA Mentorship 2025.

During the official opening of the Luxembourg exhibitions on Wednesday, Minister Thill said: "For ten years, Lët'z Arles has been a major showcase for Luxembourg photography. This initiative demonstrates that Luxembourg has its place on the major international cultural stage when it invests in quality and cooperation." He added: "It is particularly symbolic that this tenth anniversary is dedicated to Edward Steichen, whose legacy continues to extend far beyond Luxembourg".

Minister Thill also praised the commitment of the Lët'z Arles association and its institutional and cultural partners, which have contributed to promoting Luxembourg photography internationally over the past decade.

Created in 2016 with the support of Luxembourg's Ministry of Culture, Lët'z Arles has gradually established itself as a leading platform for the promotion of Luxembourg photography. Through exhibitions, publications and networking activities, the association has helped many artists gain greater visibility among professionals and the wider public.

Through this anniversary edition and the tenth anniversary of Lët'z Arles, Luxembourg reaffirmed its commitment to photographic creation and to promoting its artists and cultural institutions internationally.