The 10th edition of the French Institute of Spain’s French Scenes cultural season was officially inaugurated last week at an event held at the Residence de France, with the participation of the singer Rigoberta Bandini and the writer Rosa Montero, godmothers of the cultural season.
The French Ambassador, Jean-Michel Casa, opened the event by stressing that “after all these years, I can testify as French Ambassador to Spain to the central and essential role that culture plays in the bilateral Franco-Spanish relationship, as set out in the treaty of friendship and cooperation signed just over a year ago in Barcelona. If only one example were needed to convince us of this, I would cite the exceptional Picasso Celebration that is now coming to an end, built thanks to the intense collaboration between the museums of the two countries and the extraordinary work of the curators of the 46 exhibitions”.
On the cultural season of the French Institute in Spain, Jean-Michel Casa stressed that “with the aim of getting to know and understand each other better, this year’s Escenas francesas highlights contemporary French creation in all its diversity and affirms a desire to develop innovative partnerships in close cooperation with several Spanish institutions”.
Referring to some of the emblematic events of the season presented, the ambassador stressed that the aim this year was to question the convulsions of the world. “The culmination of this work of reflection, he said, will take place in September with the organisation of a major Franco-German festival of ideas, at the Círculo de Bellas Artes and at various other venues, in which several leading institutions will take part. We also felt it was essential to reflect on the changes brought about by artificial intelligence, based on the testimonies of numerous French and Spanish experts at conferences organised throughout the year. I would also like to recommend the meeting we are organising in April with the management of the Festival d’Avignon, accompanied by several artists, who will come to present this year’s programme and the tribute paid to the “Spanish language”.
With the same desire to build bridges between the artistic scenes of the two countries, our aim to get to know each other better and to create together has been given concrete form by the creation of a network of artistic residencies between France and Spain. The mobilisation of numerous French and Spanish institutions and the hosting of artists from both countries in different disciplines will, I am sure, help to give a new impetus to the intensity of our artistic exchanges. This programme, called MARTE, will be presented in the course of the year.
More details on the presentation of the 10th season of French Scenes and the programme can be found at this link.
