It is impossible not to be touched by the work of Karine Chavas, one of the women photographers exhibiting at the 2026 edition of the Riedisheim International Photography Salon at the Aronde until April 19. Based in Aix-en-Provence, Karine Chavas is known and recognized for her work exploring nudity, femininity, and identity. She is presenting a portion of her series “Nudum corpus”, a neo-pictorialist work.
A little further, Russian Ludmila Shumilova also exhibits her work, images fixed on boards. The contemporary artist photographer appreciates dreamlike images, like her series “Ghost orchids” and “Floating petals”. The list of women exhibiting in Riedisheim continues with black and white photographs by Karin Werren and those of Esther Berger, Christine Bühlmann, and Alexandra Schmid.
Context: The content discusses the exhibition at the Riedisheim International Photography Salon featuring work by women photographers.
Fact Check: The mentioned Salon is scheduled until April 19, 2026.
Exploration and discoveries for 39 years
Established in 1987 by the Riedisheim Photo club and the Peugeot-Citroën Mulhouse cultural and sports association, the Riedisheim International Photography Salon has established itself as a major event in the Grand Est region, centered around the exhibition of works from its international competition and invited photographers.
As Francis Schroeder, co-president of the Riedisheim Photo club, points out, “even if we base our choices on themes, we are also witnesses of the evolution of mentalities, of society… Here, it is a fact, there are more and more women entering photography who have far surpassed men in terms of imagination, perception, and techniques used.”
Fact Check: The Riedisheim International Photography Salon was founded in 1987 by the Riedisheim Photo club and the Peugeot-Citroën Mulhouse association.
Translation Note: Using bold for context and fact check notes for clarity.
An evolution of society, as for a long time, women had limited access to artistic professions and technical professions. Photography, especially in its early days (19th and early 20th centuries), was considered a technical profession (chemistry, mechanics), an outdoor profession (reporting, war, street) and therefore seen as male-dominated. Cameras were expensive and complex. Opportunities (studios, press, commissions) often went through male professional networks, institutions dominated by men. “Even when female photographers existed, like Julia Margaret Cameron or Dorothea Lange, they were often less visible or recognized,” notes the amateur photographer.
An art more accessible
Today, equipment has become more democratized, photography has become accessible to almost everyone, costs and technical barriers have decreased. “We must not forget the evolution of mentalities. Social transformations (professional equality, access to education, economic independence) have allowed more women to train, to undertake, to make a mark in artistic and technical domains. They bring different perspectives (intimate, social, political), another way to tell the world.” For example, Annie Leibovitz profoundly marked portrait photography. Cindy Sherman revolutionized conceptual photography.
Fact Check: The text reflects on the increased accessibility of photography due to technological advancements and social changes.
If this evolution is a good thing, on the other hand, the arrival of artificial intelligence is seen as a threat to photographers… “AI will certainly not replace the passion and emotion that a photographer puts into their work, but it will transform certain aspects of photography, especially illustration and automatic retouching.”
Photography still has bright days ahead, just visit the Aronde to see for yourself.
