Within the framework of la Francophonie 2025, and in collaboration with the French-speaking embassies in Spain, until 30 April, the Instituto Francés de Madrid presents the exhibition Écrire en français, which brings together dozens of Francophone authors(a)s that describe their relationship with the French language around 4 topics, allowing to discover the different ways of apprehending French.
The themes of the exhibition are: The shadow of languages and the memory of words, The reasons for a choice, Choosing or not to choose, and With the French language.
They and they were born in Buenos Aires, Tokyo or Kabul, in Dakar, Beirut or Saigon. In China, in Syria, in Bulgaria or in Iran… In Moroni, in Trois Boutiques or in Stalowa Wola… Places, countries and lands with no immediate links to the French language. Aided(s) by fate, chance, personal or collective history, inspired(s) by their dramas, their loves, their encounters, these authors and their words have traveled. They all write in French. A French language inherited, imposed or chosen, with which they maintain a pragmatic, loving, conflictual, passionate and creative relationship. A language «mother», «great-maternal», «natural», «vital» … Your language! Why? How to seize this language? How did you receive it? How did they take it? How did they learn it? How did they push it, enrich it, mix it? It is these itineraries, these traces, that are gathered in this exhibition.
The exhibition Écrire en français combines excerpts from works, quotes and exclusive filmed interviews selected by Bernard Magnier and Sabyl Ghoussoub. The written testimonies are illustrated by 9 portraits of French-speaking authors, signed Raphaëlle Macaron.