During the month of October, right from the 1st through to the 31st to be precise, the third edition of the Bi-annual Festival of Contemporary Art will take place in the French city of Le Havre. This edition will focus on the relationships between comics and contemporary art as they currently exist.
The Festival acknowledges that the comic has been neglected as an artform in its own right for a long time, initially because it was deemed a medium aimed at children or intended for rapid consumption, and later due to the fact that most critical attention for the comic was limited to either the art or the narration. The Biennale wants to echo the comic’s slow progress from an exploitative medium to an autonomous artform.
Together with recent works from contemporary visual artists like Jean Michel Alberola, Wim Delvoye, and Christopher White, the exhibitions in the Festival will feature artwork by Joost Swarte, Vaughn Bode, Jochen Gerner, Ilan Manouach, Ruppert and Mulot, Winschluss, my fabulous compatriot Brecht Evens (if you haven’t read The Wrong Place by now, you’re seriously missing out) and more.
During the festival the second Partouche Prize for experimental film will be awarded to one of a number of films working with graphics, illustrative elements, etcetera. Various sites in the city will host workshops developed by artists in residence, allowing the public to attend.
The Bi-annual Festival of Le Havre is a creation of Groupe Partouche, one of the principal funders of culture in France. Partouche Group is the leading funder of contemporary art biennials and dance of Lyon, the opera festival of Aix en Provence, Antibes Jazz Festival, among other cultural events. More information on the Biennale on its website and blog.
Wed, Sep 8, 2010
Comics and cartoons, Conventions and events, From our Continental Correspondent