The musical and circus performance from the band Circa Tsuica at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Croisements Festival in Guangzhou. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
The official opening of the 2018 Croisements Festival in Guangdong takes place at The Canton Place in Guangzhou on the evening of April 27. The opening ceremony started with a musical and circus performance from the band Circa Tsuica, and included the opening of the interactive photo exhibition France e-Motion.
Guests pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Croisements Festival in Guangzhou. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
The Croisements Festival, as always, aims to encourage and develop encounters between the artists and cultural institutions of France and China, and to provide a space in which their mutual creativity can flourish.
Guests pose for a group photo at the press conference of the 2018 Croisements Festival in Guangzhou. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
This year, the festival’s program includes visual arts, dance and performance, theatre, classical and contemporary music, jazz and contemporary music, cinema, books and ideas, and so on. Most of these projects take place in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Foshan in Guangdong.
Here is the schedule of the projects in Guangdong:
Visual arts
France eMotion
27th of April – 9th of May, 2018
Guangzhou
Free entry
The Guangzhou Place (广粤天地)
Haifeng Rd, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou (广州市天河区珠江新城海风路)
18th of May – 17th of June, 2018
Foshan
Free entry
Canton First Estate (广佛新世界)
No. 333 Golf Road, Nanhai High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Foshan (佛山市南海区高尔夫路333号)
Make french cultural tourism a worldwide experience… that is what the exhibition France eMotion, le voyage animé, aims to. This travelling exhibition is the result of a partnership between Atout France and the Institut Français. At the crossroads between photography, AR (Augmented Reality) and digital animation, it takes the viewer for an original and digital tour through 35 great cultural french sites.
Lecture by Fabrice Hyber
15:00, 8th of July, 2018
Shenzhen
Free entry
OCT Art & Design Gallery (深圳华·美术馆)
No. 9009 Shennan Dadao, OCT, Nanshan District, Shenzhen (深圳南山区华侨城深南大道9009号)
As part of his residency at Yishu 8, Fabrice Hyber returns to give three lectures at Yishu 8, the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts and Shenzhen on his life and work as an artist. A series of videos and photographs shed light on his creative process. Regarded as one of the greatest artists of his generation, Fabrice Hyber has developed a protean, original body of work that never ceases to amaze.
Dance and Performance
Forecasting
16:30 – 18:30, 16th of June, 2018
Shenzhen
Free entry
Design Society l Sea World Culture & Art Center – Central Plaza (设计互联 | 海上世界文化中心中央广场)
No. 1187 Wanghai Road, Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen (深圳南山区蛇口望海路1187号)
FORECASTING is based on a collection of amateur videos taken from the world’s largest video-sharing website: YouTube. The performance uses this framework as a fiction trigger, a store of signs and meanings, a sum of articulations that impose on its visitor / user an exercise in information processing between fragmentary empirical immediacy and hyper abstraction. On the stage, a performer manipulates a laptop on the screen of which are shown YouTube videos that had been selected to meet the human size scale.
Theatre
Les Habits de la Lune: A visual poem by Laurent Laffargue with Tangy Silk and Cashmere Song (Laurent Laffargue)
19th and 20th of June, 2018
Shenzhen
Shenzhen Grand Théâtre (深圳大剧院)
No. 5018, Shennan East Rd, Luohu District, Shenzhen (深圳市罗湖区深南东路5018号)
At the crossroads between opera, theater, fashion, cinema and dance, the director Laurent Laffargue presents his new visual poem, co-written with Frédéric Kristiansson, and inspired by the thousand years old odysseys who paved the way of the Silk Roads. Les Habits de la Lune takes place somewhere between arts and mythologies, between East and West, at the junction between civilizations. It tells the impossible love of the Moon, for whom a thousand stars won't replace the Sun.
Circus and puppet show for young audience by Opus 7
16:30, 5th and 6th of May, 2018
Shenzhen
Free entry
Design Society | Sea World Culture & Art Center – Central Plaza (设计互联 | 海上世界文化中心中央广场)
No. 1187 Wanghai Road, Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen (深圳南山区蛇口望海路1187号)
The seven artists of Opus 7 swing the marching band in all directions. They turn it, flip it around and spin it back, all while sustaining a comical, festive atmosphere. To the rhythm of a repertoire that falls halfway between Balkans music and American big-band jazz, the mischievous characters twirl their bodies and their instruments. All of it with a big-hearted energy that makes the show so alive and engaging!
Magic shadows and other tricks by Philippe Beau
19:30, 7th and 8th of June, 2018
Guangzhou
Guangzhou Opera House (广州大剧院)
No. 1 Zhujiang West Rd, Tianhe District, Guangzhou (广州天河区珠江西路1号)
From Bresson to Welles, via Méliès and Woody Allen, many filmmakers have incorporated magic into their works. In this show that brilliantly combines shadows and magic, Philippe Beau dialogues with these giants of illusion and the seventh art. This subtle and sought-after creation, in which delicate sequences of Chinese shadows, astonishing magic scenes and film sequences intermingle, is a tribute to those great film directors who have resorted to the evocative power of magic.
Classical and contemporary music
Duo piano concert by Duo Jatekok
20:00, 7th of May, 2018
Shenzhen
Shenzhen Concert Hall (深圳音乐厅)
No.2016, Fuzhong 1st Road, Futian District, Shenzhen (深圳福田区福中一路2016号)
In ten years as a duo, Naïri Badal and Adélaïde Panaget have carved out an audience which recognizes their sincerity, simplicity, talent and authenticity. Jatekok – to play: piano, with the piano, with four hands, with two, classical or contemporary music, with the audience, with other musicians, with other artists. Playfulness is the cornerstone of this duo.
Concert: Jean-Yves Thibaudet
20:00, 12th of May, 2018
Guangzhou
Xinghai Concert Hall (星海音乐厅)
No. 33 Qingbo Rue, Ersha Ile Yuexiu Guangzhou (广州市越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号)
As a virtuoso pianist of international renown, Jean-Yves Thibaudet divides his time between France and the United States, and many tours regularly bring him to collaborate with the greatest ensembles and the greatest chefs of the planet. He collaborates with the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and Finnish conductor Okko Kamu, to give Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto on the ground.
An exceptional battle nourished from improvisations and master works by Debussy
20:00, 25th of May, 2018
Guangzhou
Xinghai Concert Hall (星海音乐厅）
No. 33 Qingbo Road, Ershao Ile, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (广州市越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号)
A playful musical joust of epic proportions between two French pianists, Hugues Leclère and Jean-François Zygel, this concert combines Debussy’s most well-known pieces with solo and duet improvisations. As a pianist, Debussy devoted his life to improvisation and interpretation. To mark 100 years since the composer’s death, Hugues Leclère and Jean-François Zygel take inspiration from this art of the moment where music surges forth from the imagination.
Homage to the musical and critical genius of Debussy
14:00, 3rd of June, 2018
Shenzhen
Shenzhen Concert Hall (深圳音乐厅)
No. 2016, Fuzhong 1st Road, Futian District, Shenzhen (深圳福田区福中一路2016号)
To mark 100 years since Debussy’s death, the actor Pascal Rénéric, the pianist Momo Kodama and the baritone Josep-Ramon Olivé have assembled a performance to reveal the richness and distinctiveness of his work and paint a picture of the man himself. The trio has created a sober and minimalist production with the central objective of ensuring that the music played is a direct reflection of the thoughts of the composer whose creative musings, uninhibited actions, connections to nature and poetic lyricism abound in both his writings and his music.
String quartet concert by the Ensemble Philéas: A tribute to the great French masters of impressionism
20:00, 3rd of June, 2018
Guangzhou
Xinghai Concert Hall (星海音乐厅)
No. 33 Qingbo Rd, Ersha Ile, Yuexiu District Guangzhou (广州市越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号)
20:00, 5th of June, 2018
Shunde
Shunde Performing Arts Centre (顺德演艺中心)
No. 6 Bishui Rd, Shunde, Foshan (佛山顺德大良街道碧水路6号)
Made up of musicians from the Radio France orchestras, and leading French soloists, the Philéas Quartet includes a mixture of artists from different backgrounds, instigated by Vincent Dormieu (viola) and the shared desire of the musicians, enamoured by chamber music in all its forms, driven by a willingness to extend it to a wider audience. At every concert, the four musicians perform a rich and demanding repertoire, with the central goal of presenting the composers and their work directly to the audience, forging an intimate connection with the listener.
Jazz and contemporary music
Pony Pony Run Run / Music Day (Electric party pop)
16th of June, 2018
Shunde
Free entry
Shunfengshan Park (顺峰山公园)
Nanguo East Rd, Daliang, Shunde, Foshan (佛山市顺德区南国东路)
From the best of British indie-rock to 90s dance music, everything is mixed up in the energetic electro pop of Pony Pony Run Run, passing through a filter that keeps only the joy, the game, and the light. These former fine arts students from Nantes claim a globalizing vision of music, pouring into their songs all the pop-culture that made up their education: the radio and its ads, the TV and its clips, the clubs and their dance floors.
Colours in the street are back in China! / Music Day
17th of June, 2018
Shunde
Free entry
Shunfengshan Park (顺峰山公园)
Nanguo East Rd, Daliang, Shunde, Foshan (佛山市顺德区南国东路)
In just three years, the group Colours in the Street have seen their vibrant pop take over the French scene. In 2015, these so-called wise guys brought out their first album, Royal, ladened with indie-pop sounds, Anglo-Saxon influences and French touches. The talented musicians haven’t looked back. Soon after the album release, they took off to tour Asia, playing in both China and Korea. They come back for the 2018 International Music Day to the delight of their Chinese fans.
Hey! Lily! (黑莉莉)
16-17th of June, 2018
Shunde
Free entry
Shunfengshan Park (顺峰山公园)
Nanguo East Rd, Daliang, Shunde, Foshan (佛山市顺德区南国东路)
Lure(诱导社)
16-17th of June, 2018
Shunde
Free entry
Shunfengshan Park (顺峰山公园)
Nanguo East Rd, Daliang, Shunde, Foshan (佛山市顺德区南国东路)
Groovers(菊花合唱团)
16-17th of June, 2018
Shunde
Free entry
Shunfengshan Park (顺峰山公园)
Nanguo East Rd, Daliang, Shunde, Foshan (佛山市顺德区南国东路)
Mercader(梅卡德尔)
16-17th of June, 2018
Shunde
Free entry
Shunfengshan Park (顺峰山公园)
Nanguo East Rd, Daliang, Shunde, Foshan (佛山市顺德区南国东路)
Serge Teyssot-Gay and Xie Yugang: A musical encounter between two exceptional musicians from the French and Chinese scene
20:30, 22nd of May, 2018
Guangzhou
T: Union (TU凸空间)
Dongfang Garden, 361-365 Guangzhou Middle Ave, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (广州市越秀区广州大道中361-365号东方花苑首层)
During his 2016 Chinese tour, Serge Teyssot-Gay met Xie Yugang in Beijing, a few hours before the sound check for the evening concert. This first improvised concert revealed a common desire to immortalize what was obvious to everybody there that night: a unique musical adventure of rare intensity. The artists quickly agreed on the need for a studio recording and to renew the stage experience with new series of concerts in China and France in 2018.
Smadj transcends the oud
6th of May, 2018
Shenzhen
Brown Sugar Jar Public Live (Shangbu) (红糖罐Public现场上步店)
No. 1031 Shangbu South Rd, Futian District, Shenzhen (深圳市福田区上步南路1031号)
Smadj is back in China along with Mehdi Haddad to play the oud - a traditional Arabic instrument. Alternating between ‘classic’ Arabs pieces and personal compositions, Smadj continues to push back the traditional boundaries of the oud, an instrument whose history dates to around 1800 BC in Babylon.
Joce Mienniel and his quartet TILT
26th of June, 2018
Shenzhen
B10 (B10现场)
North Side of Building C2, North District of OCT-LOFT, Shenzhen (深圳市华侨城创意文化园园北区C2栋北侧 (旧天堂书店斜对面))
Joce Mienniel, former flutist of the National Jazz Orchestra (NJO), heads an exciting quartet whose style falls in between the futuristic Ennio Moricone, Robert Wyatt and his contrasting light and shade, and the outlandish Steve Reich. The TILT quartet echoes the rage and noise of the contemporary metropolis. With his extensive range of influences and activities, Joce Mienniel is undoubtedly an exceptional musician.
Almeeva - Mao Live
26th of June
Guangzhou
Mao Live House (Mao 音乐场馆)
Element 6, No.1088 Xingang East Rd, Haizhu District, Guangzhou (广州市海珠区新港东路1088号六元素体验天地一楼)
Almeeva is the latest project of the multi-instrumentalist and producer Gregory Hoepffner. Combining minimalist music, pop creations and music videos, this consummate artist takes us on a journey to an entirely electro fantasy world.
Kid Francescoli - Mao Live
27th of July, 2018
Guangzhou
Mao Live House (Mao 音乐场馆)
Element 6, No.1088 Xingang East Rd, Haizhu District, Guangzhou (广州市海珠区新港东路1088号 六元素体验天地一楼)
Kid Francescoli is the electro pop project created in 2002 in Marseille by Mathieu Hocine. He has spent several years working with Julia Minkin with whom he has co-written a number of songs and with Mathieu Chrétien who plays the drums at his concerts.
Cinema
15th Panorama of French Cinema
8th of July, 2018
Shenzhen
Shenzhen Broadway Cinema (深圳百老汇影城)
2nd floor, COCOPARK Shopping Park, Fuhua 3rd Road, Futian District, Shenzhen (深圳市福田区福华三路COCOPARK购物公园2楼)
UniFrance Films and the French Embassy in China are organizing the fifteenth edition of the Panorama of French Cinema in 6 Chinese cities. This is a can't-miss opportunity to discover the best of contemporary French cinema on screens across the major Chinese cities. 12 French movies will be screened in Shenzhen.
Books and ideas
Philippe UG: Children’s author and illustrator and master in the art of "Pop-up" creations
4th of June, 2018
Guangzhou
Free entry
Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (广州美术学院)
5th of June, 2018
Guangzhou
Free entry
Fang Suo Commune (方所广州店)
No. 383 Tianhe Rd. (TaiKoo Hui, MU35), Tianhe District, Guangzhou (广州市天河区天河路383号太古汇商场地铁上层MU35号商铺)
Philippe Huger, better known by his pen name "Philippe UG", graduated as graphic designer from the Duperré School of Applied Arts in Paris. He is a confident paper engineer, silk-screen printer, printer, teacher, and newspaper cartoonist. His books have been translated into several languages, including some in Chinese (Mandarin), published by Le Le Qu.
Danielle Tartakowsky: Conference series “Ecrire l’Histoire”
16th of May, 2018
Guangzhou
Free entry
Fang Suo Commune (方所广州店)
No. 383 Tianhe Rd. (TaiKoo Hui, MU35), Tianhe District, Guangzhou (广州市天河区天河路383号太古汇商场地铁上层MU35号商铺)
Ecrire l’Histoire (Writing History) is a conference series that aims to create a dialogue between the french and the Chinese culture, thanks to a mutual comprehension of the historical heritage of both parts. In this context, Danielle Tartakowsky, professor of contemporary history, gives a conference on the following subject: “France and the invention of the 1st of Mai”.
