Cover image: Display of photo from Deux femmes, un homme by Paul Kodjo
© Entrée to Black Paris

In 2014, SNCF (France's national railway company) began showcasing regional cultural life through a program called Gares & Connexions (Train Stations & Connections). They envisioned France's train stations evolving into modern public squares that would provide a vital link between cities and travelers, and they deliberately placed art and culture at the heart of their initiative. 

SNCF created a brand—Place de la Gare—as the corporate/cultural identifier for the company's ongoing arts engagement initiatives.  The branding highlights stations as cultural venues themselves, pointing travelers toward in-station exhibitions before they board a train to visit destinations where events are actually occurring.

This summer, at Place Louis-Armand, the Gare de Lyon is featuring two such events that are ongoing in the south of France.

I saw an ad for one of them in the metro but didn't fully grasp its significance.

Metro ad for Les Rencontres de la Photographie Arles
© Entrée to Black Paris

When I saw the photo exhibit at the train station, I was able to read more about the event and then research it online.

Signage for Les Rencontres de la Photographie Arles
© Entrée to Black Paris

I learned that SNCF Gares & Connexions partners with the Rencontres d'Arles to bring the city of Arles' summer festival preview exhibitions directly into major transit hubs like Paris Gare de Lyon.

The 57th edition of Les Rencontres de la Photographie Arles opened on July 6, 2026 and runs through October 4, 2026.  It consists of over 40 exhibitions hosted across museums, churches, heritage sites, and other spaces in the city.  Many of these shows feature artists from and photo narratives about the African continent.

Indeed, images from multiple photographic exhibitions that are being shown concurrently in Arles grace the square in front of the station.  

Display of photos from various exhibitions at Les Rencontres de la Photographie Arles
All images © Entrée to Black Paris

The other featured exhibition at Gare de Lyon is Mossi Traoré - La Mode Aussi (Fashion, Too).  It opened on May 20, 2026 at MUCEM (Musée des civilisations
de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée; English translation - Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations) in Marseilles and will be on display through November 16, 2026.

Information panel for La Mode Aussi
© Entrée to Black Paris

This show brings together nearly 150 works, half of them created by Traoré.  Several of these were conceived specifically for the occasion.

Traoré's designs are shown alongside works by artists who inspire him as well as textiles, costumes, tools and accessories from the Mucem’s own collections.

Display of photos from Mossi Traoré collections
All images © Entrée to Black Paris

Read about Les Rencontres de la Photographie Arles HERE (Web page in English).

Read about Mossi Traoré - La Mode Aussi HERE (Web page in English).