Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation
The world renowned "Rencontres de la photographie" is held annually in the mediaeval town of Arles in Provence, France, every July. It is one of the largest and most important photo festivals in the world. The MRO Foundation is one of the main exhibition centres in the town, located in a 4 storey building near the centre.
The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography and Film aspires to encourage a new generation of photographers and filmmakers, armed with only a camera and a vision of a better world, to take to the streets every day and document humanity on the move. By rewarding the dedication and determination of emerging photographers and film makers, the foundation’s mission is to support photo and film reportage as a catalyst for change and social justice in communities where needs are most pressing.
The foundation, its founder and the Board of Trustees have a vision of continuous positive change in the lives of forgotten people ravaged by war, famine, poverty, exploitation and global distress. Our emphasis is to bring attention to these communities after the 24-hour news cycle is over; after the ‘breaking news’ media has moved on and world attention shifts elsewhere.
By empowering emerging photographers, we hope their efforts will take us all on a humanitarian journey that provides a voice to the voiceless, and an opportunity for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged among us — in every community in the world — to be seen and heard.
The exhibitions featured in this tour were held in 2019. The lower two floors featured an exhibition covering the history of Motown music. Five other exhibitions were held in the building. You can fully explore them here.
The 2020 event was cancelled due to Covid.
Enjoy the video we made of the Motown exhibition.
