Culture Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbour is, in the end, just like them, with same problems, same questions. Paulo Coelho Alliance Française brings you a diverse cultural programme for the next two months. The objective of presenting you this selection of curated events is to help you connect more with your roots, your surroundings and the world we live in through various mediums. ART. ARCHITECTURE. MUSIC. FILM SCREENINGS. DISCUSSIONS. DEBATES. PHILOSOPHY. LITERATURE. HISTORY. PERFORMANCE ART. CONCERTS. THEATRE. EXHIBITIONS. CULTURE. FOOD. TALKS. CONFERENCES. 18 Découvrir Sept - Oct 2018
Julien Claustre, French Painter, exhibiting his Spiritual Journey Julien Claustre, a French painter based in Paris, exhibited 33 of his works, showing an evolution from impressionism to contemporary and street art inspired paintings. The exhibition along with the artist himself was brought to India thanks to Vaarso Charitable Trust. In collaboration with them, Alliance Francaise presented a two day exhibition at the French Gallery. Interactions with the artist threw light on his creative process, his spiritual and cultural inspirations and how each layer within the painting comes from very diverse experiences he has had so far. Deeply inspired by the Bhagvad Gita, it was a dream come true when he step foot in India for the first time. The exhibition comprised of both paintings and digigraphs of hugh works that he has accomplished in the past. Wendy Gers, Renowned Ceramic Designer comes to Ahmedabad! Become a member of Alliance Française d Ahmedabad to get free access to our monthly gatherings, the French library and reduced tariffs in concerts and performances at bigger scale. Support us by joining our family. To subscribe to the mailing list, mail at culture.ahmedabad@afindia.org Wendy is an independent Curator and Art Historian, with a specialization in modern and contemporary ceramics. She is the Founder of the digital publisher, wgartbooks. com and is a Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg. Gers has curated various international exhibitions and biennales, including Cont{r}act Earth The First Central China Ceramics Biennale, Henan, China, Post-colonialisms?, Israel, and the 2014 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale, Terra-Nova. She has authored Scorched Earth: A Century of Southern African Potteries, various exhibition catalogues, book chapters, and over 30 articles in scholarly journals. Her research interests include ceramics, critical theory, cultural studies, sustainability, post-colonial studies and curatorial practices. French Institute of India, in collaboration with NID, Ahmedabad and Alliance Francaise brings Wendy Gers to Ahmedabad for a lecture and workshop for the students of NID on 7th and 8th September. Photograph by Khayal Trivedi Découvrir Sept - Oct 2018 19
FILM CineClub Screenings (Sept & Oct) Rock n Roll 14th Sept, 7 pm Guillaume Canet is told by a young co-star that he s no longer Rock n Roll and can t sell films anymore. He then tries to prove her wrong and gets help from his girlfriend, Marion Cotillard. Director: Guillaume Canet Time: 7pm Duration: 2h 03 Open to all at French Gallery. 2 Autumns 3 Winters 5th Oct, 7 pm Over the course of two autumns and three winters, Arman, Amélie and Benjamin share the incidental moments, unexpected accidents, unconventional love stories and unforgettable memories that will define who they are. Directed by: Sebastien Betbeder Time: 7 pm Open to all at French Gallery M Venice Film Festival 2017 Best Director Best Actor M 26th Oct, 7 pm But it is also a film where both the harshness and comedy of unconventional love co-exist, proffering the audience with a range of swinging emotions. M serves as an enlightening debut for Sara Forestier, who is one of the most prodigious talents of the French cinema landscape. Director: Sara Forestier Time: 7pm Duration: 1h50 Open to all at French Gallery. 20 Découvrir Sept - Oct 2018
LITERATURE Estienne Book Club Belle Epoque 27th September 2018 Existentialism 25th October 2018 The Belle Époque(golden age) of France occurred during the era of the French Third Republic (beginning 1870), a period characterized by optimism, regional peace, economic prosperity, an apex of colonial empires, technological, scientific and cultural innovations. The Belle Époque was named in retrospect, when it began to be considered as a Golden Age, in contrast to the horrors of World War I. Existentialism is a tradition of philosophical inquiry associated mainly with certain 19th and 20th-century European philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual. The term was coined by the French Catholic philosopher Gabriel Marcel in the mid-1940s. Come for the book club meeting on 27th September and 25 th October respectively to discover more about the above topics in the French Library. Save the dates and don t forget to join us! Be an Estienne, Be a French Reader! PHILOSOPHY Cafe Philos A place to deconstruct and shape ideas, thoughts, and philosophies through talks, debates and discussions in an informal setting. Inspired from the Parisian gatherings of people from different professions and classes, this is an attempt to have some honest conversations about once a month. To register contact culture.ahmedabad@afindia.org The gathering occurs roughly once a month in the Cafe, on a Saturday evening at 7 pm. Alliance Francaise d Ahmedabad presents Art- Speaks, a platform beyond borders of artists and thinkers who through their work, be it in a form of an installation, exhibition, talks, and other experiments, could provoke thoughts and stimulate discussions. The objective of the platform is to have interventions of upcoming and established artists, local or international, that could engage the audiences through their work, in reflecting upon various aspects of daily life, arts, and culture. The upcoming program will be announced shortly. Open call All interested artists and thinkers, upcoming or established who would like to collaborate can contact at culture.ahmedabad@afindia.org. Kindly send in your portfolio and proposal. 21 Découvrir Sept - Oct 2018
Christine Salem TOUR Musical Greetings from Reunion Island 20-21st Oct Photograph 22 Découvrir by Khayal Trivedi Sept - Oct 2018
HussGufa Grèn Sémé The French Institute in India, PRMA, Alliance Francaise d Ahmedabad and Darpana Academy of Arts with support of institutional partners from Reunion, bring you Musical Greetings from Reunion Island. Following the festive season of Navratri, join us to celebrate the spirit from a far off land, in form of two concerts, 20th and 21st of October. Grèn Sémé 20th October 2018 Dark, political and enraged, this music of blatant beauty has as much to do with Noir Désir or Léo Ferré as with the beautiful indocile traditions of Maloya. Tremendous master of trance and citizen rocker, the singer Carlo de Sacco pushes the asphyxiating borders of the modern life with big gulps of slam rage and poetry.. Christine Salem 21st October 2018 A singular voice of Maloya. She is one of the few female voices of Maloya, a charismatic and strong personality. In Maloya, the Reunion Island, where the dead speak to the living, she fills her notebooks in the midst of restless sleep. Venue: Natarani Amphitheatre, Darpana Academy of Arts Time: To be announced Places will need to be pre-booked. Stay Tuned for more information. To subscribe to our mailing list, contact on culture.ahmedabad@afindia.org