Nan Goldin Awarded 2025 Women in Motion Prize by Kering, Celebrated in Major Exhibition at Les Recontres d'Arles

Immerse yourself in the raw, captivating world of Nan Goldin, a pioneering photographer recognized for her intimate reflections on overlooked communities and the complexities of modern existence.

French luxury group Kering has announced celebrated American photographer Nan Goldin as the laureate of its 2025 Women in Motion Award for photography. In a bold move reflecting Kering’s commitment to championing both high-end fashion and social activism, Goldin will receive the prize on July 8 at the globally renowned Les Rencontres d’Arles photography festival. Renowned for her unflinching portraits and exploration of issues such as domestic violence, sexuality, and life on society’s margins, Goldin stands as a transformative figure in contemporary art.

Goldin’s work captures the powerful synergy between personal vulnerability and broader cultural commentary—an ethos that resonates with Kering’s mission to bridge the worlds of luxury, culture, and progressive social values. By documenting her friends and lovers with an unfiltered lens, she has consistently challenged norms and sparked conversations around gender identity, female empowerment, and the experiences of underrepresented communities.

As part of Kering’s Women in Motion program, Goldin will debut her exhibition Stendhal Syndrom at Les Rencontres d’Arles, where the festival’s commitment to celebrating cutting-edge photography has been a global draw since its founding in 1970. This slideshow-style presentation juxtaposes Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces with Goldin’s vivid portraits, highlighting an arresting contrast between the classical and the contemporary. Les Rencontres d’Arles, recognized for its avant-garde approach to showcasing both emerging and established photographic talents, is the perfect platform to experience Goldin’s newest body of work.

Founded at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, Women in Motion originally shone a spotlight on female filmmakers. Kering extended its mission to photography in 2019, acknowledging the need to promote women creators across the visual arts. Goldin now joins an esteemed roster that includes Susan Meiselas, Sabine Weiss, Liz Johnson Artur, Babette Mangolte, Rosângela Rennó, and Ishiuchi Miyako. In her acceptance remarks, Goldin expressed her admiration for these fellow photographers and her excitement about returning to Arles, a place that shaped her artistic vision in the 1980s.

Best known for The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1980–1986), Goldin’s images probe the profound intimacy and vulnerability of her community’s everyday lives. Her ongoing retrospective, This Will Not End Well, is set to appear at the Pirelli Hangar Bicocca in Milan this fall, culminating at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2026—underscoring her enduring relevance and global appeal. Goldin’s recent collaboration with Gucci, Kering’s flagship fashion house, also garnered critical acclaim at Britain’s Fashion Awards, reflecting a seamless alliance between her social conscience and luxury’s reach.

In recognizing Nan Goldin as the 2025 Women in Motion laureate, Kering affirms its dedication to fostering artistic voices that illuminate urgent social issues. For those attending Les Rencontres d’Arles, this summer’s ceremony will offer a rare opportunity to witness Goldin’s latest work in a setting that merges the elegance of a centuries-old city with the pulse of cutting-edge cultural discourse.

Stay connected with HAYAT1ST for exclusive coverage, interviews, and in-depth insights from the festival—and experience firsthand how the worlds of luxury, activism, and art unite in the evocative photography of Nan Goldin.