Photography Highlights From Les Rencontres d'Arles 2025
It's that time of the year again, when photographers from all around the world head to the south of France forLes Recontres d'Arles. Now on view through October 5, the 2025 festival is themed around 'Disobedient Images,' looking to the medium as a means of resistance, testimony and social transformation.
Now in its 56th edition, this year's programming places special emphasis on projects based in Brazil and Australia, with standout shows that explore identity, history and the power of visual narrative. Among them isConstruction, Deconstruction, Reconstruction, a group exhibitions that revisits Brazilian Modernist photography through the pioneering lens of Foto Cine Clube Bandeirante. This São Paulo-based amateur club became fertile ground for radical experimentation, reshaping the arc of Brazil's photographic landscape. Also on view isOn Country, a constellation of works hailing from Australia that explore the cultural, spiritual and environmental ties between First Peoples' communities and the land.
Additional highlights include the first European retrospective of Kwame Brathwaite, the iconic American photographer and activist behind the term 'Black is Beautiful.' A key figure of the second Harlem Renaissance, Brathwaite's lush portraits reimagined approaches to the Black body through a free, inventive capture. InThe Light from Within, American photographer Todd Hido continues his exploration of psychological landscapes, lensing desolate houses, moody interiors and skeletal trees imbued with haunting, cinematic stillness. Elsewhere,Claudia Andujar'sIn Place of Anotherreflects on the lesser-known aspects of the artist. Shaped by the trauma of war and exile, Andujar used photography to find connection and meaning in her adopted home of Brazil.
Other notable presentations include the emotional tour de force ofNan Goldin'sStendhal Syndrome,Lost and Foundby French duo Elsa & Johanna and Guilherme Cunha'sRetratistas do Morro.
For more information on the festival, check out Les Rencontres d'Arles'website.
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Indianapolis Star
5 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
When the internet turns on Benson Boone, he responds in the most Gen Z way
What do chevron mustaches, crowd-pleasing backflips and Moonbeam Ice Cream have in common? There's only one answer: Benson Boone. The jumpsuit-wearing pop star who first gained fame on TikTok has been topping charts since the release of his single "Beautiful Things" in 2024, and is preparing for the start of his sold-out U.S. American Heart Tour on Aug. 22. But parts of the internet have been quick to criticize the 23-year-old, saying he is gimmicky and inauthentic with over-the-top performances and empty lyrics. Boone has seen the criticism and found his own way to respond. Just look at his "Mr Electric Blue" music video, which starts with Boone walking into the office of his "manager," who wants a new "gimmick." He poses the question, "New songwriting?" To this, Boone responses sheepishly, "You know I can't do that." On his birthday on June 25, Boone posted a video on TikTok, asking for his haters to lighten up for the day. "It's my birthday. Stop the hate for a day and let me relax. We can continue tomorrow," Boone said in the video, which as of Aug. 8, had more than 7 million views. Review: Benson Boone misses a beat on 'American Heart', but still manages to land a fun album Benson James Boone is a pop musician from Monroe, Washington. Before the release of his TikTok-pleasing hit "Beautiful Things," Boone attended Brigham Young University-Idaho for a semester before dropping out to pursue a music career full-time. Around this time, Boone also auditioned for "American Idol" in 2021. Despite impressing Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan with his cover of Aidan Martin's "Punchline," Boone voluntarily pulled out of the competition after making the Top 24. And to no one's surprise, yes, he backflipped on television. The bulk of criticism Boone faces is claims that his brand is disingenuous. TikTok user JLC said in a recent video that though Boone resembles artists like Harry Styles, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie, specifically in his sparkly, one-piece jumpsuits, he lacks their same "aura." "Look at Harry, very comfortable in his skin. There's no hesitation. It's just another day," JLC said in a video displaying side-by-side photos of Styles and Boone. "Benny Boone over here, he looks like he's in a costume. It looks like it's a screenshot from Halloween." Content creator and podcast host Sam Murphy went a bit further in analyzing the persona of Boone's new album, "American Heart," which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's 200. Murphy and others have ripped the album's cover, which features a shirtless Boone holding an American flag. "'American Heart' could kind of give like Bruce Springsteen, 'Born in the U.S.A.,' but Bruce Springsteen wasn't using the flag as this symbol of patoritism," Murphy said in a recent video. The cover of "Born in the U.S.A." features Springsteen standing in front of an American flag, ballcap in his back pocket. "He was using it to critique the country, the treatment particularly of the working class and veterans of the Vietnam War," Murphy continued. "Using this (American flag) as your cover at this very time without saying anything at all really is kind of the equalivalent of a white Australian wearing a 'Straight Out of Compton' T-shirt." Murphy argues that Boone doesn't make reference to the United States in his album, other than a mention of being young and free in the album's concluding track, "Young American Heart." Pitchfork Deputy Director Jeremy Larson gave "American Heart" a 3.7 out of 5 and The Needle Drop's Anthony Fantano ranked it a "light 3" out of 5. Both reviewers spent a significant amount of time (and word count) diving into Boone's lyrics. Of course, everyone is curious about what exactly is "Moonbeam Ice Cream" in Boone's "Mystical Magical," but Fantano appeared more bothered by the song's story as a whole. "A lot of the lyrics on this song are all about pestering a woman that's rejecting you again and again and again and again until what? She just like drops the will to resist you and just let's your love, that you're so convinced is going to be amazing, happen?" Fantano said in his review. "Ew." For what it's worth, Boone has explained where "Moonbeam Ice Cream" came from. During his appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon, Boone said the lyric was actually crafted up by his songwriting partner Jack LaFrantz. "As we get on through the session, we kind of came to what's called writer's block. Jack's sitting there and we're kind of goofing off and he just goes, 'You know, what if you just did this?' And it looked like he was going to say something really good, and we've been sitting there for an hour. I'm like, 'This is it,'" Boone said of LaFrantz. "And he goes, 'Moonbeam Ice Cream, taking off your blue jeans.' It was a placeholder for the day and then we went home and listened to it and I was like, 'You know what? Moonbeam Ice Cream. Hell yeah.'" Coachella: Benson Boone pays homage to Queen during Coachella set with help of guitarist Brian May Boone's go-to tactic seems to be responding to criticism with sarcasm and humor, especially with how he pokes fun at the hate in the "Mr Electric Blue" music video. More recently, the pop artist posted a TikTok video expressing sarcastic confusion for a "switch up" in more widespread support. "I'm not used to Moonbeam positivity," the video's on-screen caption read. In June, Boone partnered with Crumbl Cookie to create the "Moonbeam Ice Cream Cookie," a chocolate cookie with cookies and cream pieces, "Moonbeam Ice Cream-inspired" lemon, berry and marshmallow toppings, and a sweet, white drizzle. 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"Every podcast episode would start with you doing a flip and sitting down." A few days after "American Heart" released, content creator Kaitlyn Ventenilla posted a TikTok expressing her surprise for how good the album was, citing that it invoked nostalgia for One Direction. In Gen Z lingo, she was hesitant to admit the album exceeded expectations. "Am I allowed to say Benson Boone kinda ate with this one?" the video's on-screen caption read.
NBC News
9 hours ago
- NBC News
Cash's decline gives buskers the blues, but apps keep the green flowing
Natalia Paruz, who serenades straphangers with her musical saw, isn't getting the tips she used to. That was clear on a recent Thursday at the Herald Square station in midtown Manhattan, her gold-colored tip bucket only showing a couple dollar bills and some coins halfway through a three-hour performance during the afternoon rush. 'I have so many people who come to me and say to me, 'I love your music, I want to give, but I'm sorry, I don't carry cash,'' said Paruz, who calls herself the Saw Lady. That's led her to display QR codes for digital payment apps Venmo and PayPal for commuters to send her digital tips. The decline in cash payments is changing business for street performers. With the cash in their tip jars or guitar cases dwindling, magicians and musicians are turning toward digital payments to make money from performing. Nearly half of U.S. adults never use cash in a typical week, according to research from Capital One. Nearly 70% of Americans used cash for 'few if any' purchases in the past year. A vast majority, 87%, of all U.S. transactions were cashless in 2024, and the bank anticipates that by 2027, 94% of U.S. transactions won't involve cash. Cash still reigns among older and low-income Americans, Yale economist David Argente said. Americans ages 55 and older use cash at almost double the rate of 18- to 24-year-olds, according to Federal Reserve data. There's no large-scale data on how people in the United States pay street performers, though the Federal Reserve indicates they are most likely to use cash for payments under $25. Paruz and other performers say busking still mostly draws hard money. Paruz said 70% of her tips still come from cash. New York blues keyboardist Gabriel Aldort, who plays in the city's subways and ferry terminals, said only 5% of his tips are digital. Aldort puts up 'huge' QR codes for apps like CashApp and Venmo, but says his subway audience doesn't get much use out of them. 'I think the vast majority of New Yorkers, even counting the transients, the tourists, have cash,' he said. But performers have noticed that an increasing amount of their tips come from payment apps. Chadd 'Wacky Chad' Deitz, a Boston-based stunt comedian who does backflips off pogo sticks in Northeast cities, has been experimenting with digital payments for 12 years. He now thinks 30% to 40% of his tips come that way. 'If you don't accept digital payments, then you're not going to survive,' Deitz said. Digital payment apps aim to be more 'trusted, familiar, and easy-to-use' ways for gig workers like buskers to make money, Venmo general manager Alexis Sowa said in a statement. A Cash App spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. 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Apps like Venmo and Cash App also take a small cut of money received for goods and services, which adds up when performers are processing large amounts of digital payments. An alternative is a nonprofit, busker-specific payment site that allows performers to receive tips via Apple Pay, Google Pay and credit card. Berlin-based filmmaker Nick Broad started building the site in 2012 while working on a documentary about street performers. He says digital payments help make sure that buskers get paid what they're worth. 'It's as easy to give a million dollars as $1 on a cashless payments platform,' Broad said. 'You might think that it's worth $89, $10, $15, whatever, which is not the same when you're getting cash out of your wallet and you're fumbling around for change.' But Broad says fewer performers have taken up in the United States compared to countries like the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. He says that could be because apps like Venmo or Cash App are more mainstream here. Although digital payments have helped buskers make up for a decline in cash tips, performers are still struggling. Paruz says she makes less from cash and digital tips than she did when she began performing in the 1990s, while Deitz has hit all-time lows for payment at multiple performances this year. Broadly, Americans are tired of tipping. A survey this spring found more than 40% of Americans think 'tipping culture is out of control.' That has meant many tipped workers in other industries have seen their tips dip. Besides, with the rising costs of housing and food, if audiences want to save money, 'they're going to do it watching a street performer,' Deitz said. That means performers like him don't care how you pay them — as long as you pay. A $2 tip, Deitz said, isn't going to 'sustain a white picket fence and two kids.' For magician Tangelo, though, cash has one additional benefit. 'I have a trick where money appears inside fruit,' he said. 'You can't do that with Cash App or Venmo.'
Newsweek
9 hours ago
- Newsweek
Sydney Sweeney's Net Worth Is Set To Radically Change
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sydney Sweeney's net worth will likely only increase following her controversial American Eagle jeans ad, experts have told Newsweek. The Euphoria and The White Lotus actor made headlines late last month over her partnership with the clothing brand. The tagline of the campaign, "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans"—a wordplay on genes—sparked a fierce conversation about racism and eugenics. However, some reputation management experts said the debate could boost her future earnings, with one predicting it would provide Sweeney with an "outrage cocktail of $5 million" by the end of the month alone. The 27-year-old says in the advert, released on July 23: "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue." While some online critics accused the advertisement of "white supremacy" and "Nazi propaganda," others dismissed the accusations and said the wordplay was simply creative marketing. On August 1, American Eagle defended Sweeney and the advert in a statement posted to social media, which said: "'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone." Newsweek reached out to Sweeney's representative via email for comment on Friday. Experts tell Newsweek Sydney Sweeney's net worth will likely increase despite uproar over her American Eagle jeans ad. Experts tell Newsweek Sydney Sweeney's net worth will likely increase despite uproar over her American Eagle jeans ad. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty Is Sydney Sweeney a Republican? Amid the debate, Newsweek and multiple other outlets confirmed Sweeney is a registered Republican in Monroe County, Florida. The revelation has conservatives associating Sweeney with right-leaning politics, despite her never speaking out about her political affiliation. Republican President Donald Trump told reporters: "She's a registered Republican? Oh, now I love her ad." He later said on his social media platform Truth Social that The Handmaid's Tale star "has the 'HOTTEST' ad out there." Fox News host Jesse Watters, meanwhile, playfully teased that she and Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, should marry. "It's going to create the greatest political dynasty in American history," he said on The Five. What Is Sydney Sweeney's Net Worth? Sweeney's net worth has not been confirmed, but Celebrity Net Worth estimates it to be approximately $40 million. The Spokane, Washington, native was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 2022 and was named in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2023. Her new film Americana is due to hit theaters on August 15. Increased Visibility and Cash Crisis management and PR expert Edward Segal, author of the upcoming book The Crisis Casebook: Lessons in Crisis Management from the World's Leading Brands, told Newsweek that Sweeney's "future earnings could certainly be helped because of the controversial ad." "That is because companies, brands, movies, Netflix and others might want to take advantage of the recent spike in her name recognition to help increase visibility for their own purposes," he said. Eric Schiffer, CEO of Reputation Management Consultants, went further. "American Eagle's denim blitz could jam an outrage cocktail of $5 million more in Sweeney's wallet before Labor Day. The viral jeans spot is a ruthless napalm-grade cash cannon—every click fires fresh royalty checks at her $40 million pile." "Critics rant, but controversy drives denim sales," he continued. "She's riding a volatile tornado straight to the bank." Schiffer added that the ad could boost roles coming her way as Sweeney's "blend of bombshell and backlash is near lethal catnip for producers." "Hollywood forgives denim puns; it rewards controversial cash. She proved she can take heat—directors love an actress with fierce armor," he said. Additionally, Trump's social media post "gave American Eagle a shocking stock pop," Schiffer said. "She earned that bump without tweeting a syllable." The New York Times reported on Tuesday that American Eagle's stock rose by more than 23 percent after he complimented its campaign. A window display of actor Sydney Sweeney is seen on an American Eagle storefront on August 1, 2025, in New York City. A window display of actor Sydney Sweeney is seen on an American Eagle storefront on August 1, 2025, in New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images The Downsides However, Segal warned that the advert's controversy could have the opposite effect on Sweeney's career. "Companies, movies and TV shows could shy away from her because a number of people who were offended by the commercial," he said. "Consumers who were turned off by the ad may decide that they will not buy American Eagle's jeans. Or if they already have a pair, will refuse to buy them again. In their eyes, American Eagle's brand has been tarnished, and the company will forever be remembered for sponsoring 'that' ad." Karen J. Kessler, president and CEO Kessler PR Group, told Newsweek that Sweeney "has been walking a marketing tightrope." "Will a marketing campaign define her image? No, but she will need to be strategic as she navigates the 'actress as marketing tool' career," she warned. Sweeney and American Eagle's Futures Segal said the brand's "future is brighter" following the collaboration. "Breaking through the clutter in the marketplace is always a challenge for brands, and the ad certainly was able to do that in a memorable and effective way," he said . "I will not be surprised if American Eagle continues to feature Sweeney in their ads or creates a series of new ones that are based on the headlines generated by the 'great genes' commercial. Nothing succeeds like success." Sweeney has not yet spoken out about the debate, but Kessler said that's a good thing. "She is letting the social media universe chatter, while she is notably silent. Good move, Sydney." As for her future, it's looking just as bright as the brand she collaborated with, Schiffer said. The "ad proves the 'girl next door' can weaponize backlash—she's a savvy PR chameleon," he said. "Sydney Sweeney turned a 15-second denim tease into a blistering wealth accelerator. The moral of Sydney's story is outrage sells jeans, jeans fatten wallets and that Sweeney's playing a ruthless grand-master game."
