2/10/2009
Nuit Blanche
Different venues, Paris
For the 8th edition, Alexia Fabre and Frank Lamy, the two artistic curators, are inviting us to take an intimate, subtle and poetic journey through Paris. They have selected bustling, open, well-known and shared places, such as the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont or Luxembourg gardens, where the works of art will astonish visitors to these popular gardens. They will also turn sporting centres into artistic venues, welcoming artists from all over the world who have come to visit or reinvent the town.
For the 8th edition of Nuit Blanche, on Saturday, 3 October, Alexia Fabre and
Frank Lamy, the two artistic curators, are inviting us to take an intimate, subtle
and poetic journey through Paris.
They have selected bustling, open, well-known and shared places, such as the
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont or Luxembourg gardens, where the works of art will
astonish visitors to these popular gardens. They will also turn sporting centres
into artistic venues, welcoming artists from all over the world who have come
to visit or reinvent Paris.--
Places of worship are taking part again this year, such as the churches Saint-Eustache, Notre-Dame, Saint-Séverin, not to mention the Great Mosque. Key auditoriums in Parisian cultural life, the Théâtre de la Ville, the Théâtre du Châtelet, will open their doors to contemporary art all night long.
However, one of the specific features of Nuit Blanche 2009 will be the visit to
mythical places of knowledge dissemination such as the École Normale Supérieure or the Musée National du Moyen Âge... where artists will plunge us into
their resolutely modern world of thought, drawing inspiration from the spirit of
these places.
A significant event mediation system, in the shape of a team of around fifty ‘mediators’, trained in contemporary art, will be set up to guide visitors through their Nuit Blanche exploration. Specific initiatives are planned that are geared towards families, senior citizens, the disabled and socially-excluded people.
Hinged around three areas (the North-East, the Centre and the left bank), this
Parisian Nuit Blanche will be unveiled by Alexia Fabre, head curator of the Musée
d’art contemporain du Val-de-Marne (MAC/ VAL) and Frank Lamy, responsible
for temporary exhibitions at MAC/ VAL. Involving them in these Nuit Blanche
events is a recognition of their marvellous work in Vitry. Against the backdrop of
the Metropolitan Paris project, we are delighted with this partnership with the
Val-de-Marne Département Council and we are extremely pleased that, from
the afternoon of October, 3, the MAC/ VAL will play host to a Nuit Blanche
event.
Outside of Paris, Nuit blanche will also be held at Arcueil, Aubervilliers, Clichyla-Garenne, Les Lilas, Nanterre, Saint-Denis, as well as Romainville and
Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône. From further afield still, we are delighted to welcome
Amsterdam and Tel Aviv into the worldwide Nuits Blanches network.
Nuit Blanche 2009 will once again be an integral part of Paris City Hall’s drive to
give culture a greater place in the city, and in particular, make way for contemporary art, with a focus on dreams, time regained and nonchalance.
Fantasy, dreams, imagination; depth, gravity, thought; poetry, intimacy, nostalgia... This, Paris’ 8th Nuit Blanche, invites us to events brimming with aesthetic emotions.
Entrusted to Alexia Fabre, head curator of the MAC/sible for temporary exhibitions in the very same of Nuit Blanche 2009 will naturally focus on contemporary fine arts, but without
overlooking other artistic forms. In keeping with
selective programme is based on a melting pot of interactions: between artist and space, between a work of art and its audience and between the visitors themselves, thanks to a warm atmosphere.
Three trails are available to night owls venturing out into an enchanting and
enchanted Paris. To the north, around the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, in the centre around Châtelet and the Marais, and finally, for the first time in the history of
Nuit Blanche, on the left bank around Luxembourg and the Quartier Latin.
Parks and gardens with Buttes-Chaumont and Luxembourg; centres of knowledge
and learning such as l’École Normale Supérieure; areas of culture and leisure with
the Théâtre du Châtelet or the Pailleron swimming pool; places of worship including the Great Mosque of Paris or Notre Dame cathedral, as well as streets,
squares, alleys, shop windows and even the Parisian underground network ... all
public areas, for one night only, will be completely turned into settings for contemporary artists from all backgrounds, all trends and all generations. Productions
of specific pieces, recasting or reinvention of previous works of art all reflect an
architecture, a past, a history, a function, covering all the locations and hubs which
define the city.
Open to everyone, the 8th Nuit Blanche will take on the guise of celebration,
putting contemporary art right to the fore in a gesture of sharing and delight. Designed as walking trails, the events take place along three trails (Buttes-Chaumont,
Châtelet-Marais and Quartier Latin), connected all through the night thanks to a
partnership with the RATP (extra Noctiliens night buses; metro lines 14 and 11
running through the night).
Nuit Blanche 2009 is a significant milestone in seeking to abolish and complete participation of Clichy-la-Garenne, Gentilly, Nanterre, Les Lilas, Saint-Denis, Saint- Ouen-l’Aumône, Aubervilliers, Arcueil and Romainville. Further afield, in line with its international expansion, this year sees Amsterdam joining the network of European Nuits Blanches and, on a world scale, the city of Tel Aviv is also joining the ranks of Nuit Blanche.
Nuit Blanche 2009 boasts around thirty official projects and over 60 associated
projects. This highly-selective, festive and off-beat edition is set to be one of the
major artistic community events of the new autumn term.
Since 2002, Paris has taken on the guise of an enormous living museum one night a year for the enjoyment of both Parisians and visitors.
This night offers the general public a feast of contemporary art, giving people of all ages, from all backgrounds, a unique approach to experiencing culture.
Artistic directors
Alexia Fabre and Frank Lamy with assistance from Annabelle Constant
General Coordination
Noëlle Audejean, Emmanuel Daydé, Vanessa Amiot, Marianne Memain with assistance from Alice Ghys, Doriane Mouly, Angélique O’Rorke
Communication
Catherine Grangeon, Christel Bortoli, assistées de Céline Forlorou (Carat Culture)
Press
Press service – Alix Vic-Dupont 01 42 76 43 18 – alix.vicdupont@paris.fr
Full program on http://www.nuitblanche2009.com