BLUE IN THREE COLOURS AND THREE LANGUAGES
PARTNER EXCHANGES ArteFact artists welcome their colleagues from partner cities for a collective work
The idea came to them two years ago: launch a project of cultural exchange between Agen and two of its twin cities – Dinslaken, a town in the Rhur region and Arad, a town in Israel desert. And this, because Rhur has just been elected Capital of European Culture for year 2010.
The project was named TWINS 2010, which means "Jumelles 2010" for those who do not master Shakespeare's language. A partnership between three towns which starts in Agen as soon as today with the arrival of six German and two Israeli artists. They are welcomed for two weeks in Agen, and above all, by twelve artist members of ArteFact, either painters, sculptors, graphic designers, ceramists, photographs and even dancers. "We start these two weeks getting acquainted. And, as soon as Monday, we'll start our collective creative work", explain Marlène Looijen - ArteFact president - and Isabelle Marchet, Vice-president.
The Iles Leisure Centre which is lent by the town municipality and situated along the Prairie will be used as a giant artistic studio for creative meetings, and obviously artistic ones.
"The idea is of an exchange to discover the others' culture, landscape and environment"
However, the artists will let brushes, cameras or any other instrument necessary to expressing their skills, to go on a few visits.
"The idea is of an exchange to discover the others' culture, landscape and environment. The Rhur is industrial, Arad is in a desert and Agen is surrounded by an agricultural countryside. We will suggest to artists to go to Bordeaux but also visit the bastides of the Department, notably Monflanquin where we'll pay a visit to members of Pollen association. In the Gironde capital, we'll visit the cultural places like the submarine base. Twins 2010 theme being "Blau-bleu-blue", we'll certainly go to Lectoure to discover the famous "Lectoure blue", Isabelle Marchet adds.
A glimpse It is to be noted that in April 2010, all will spend fifteen days in Arad for new collective works, then in Dinslaken in August. There, works resulting of the exchange will be exhibited for six weeks, with photos and videos on their stays in the three towns. Meanwhile, before 2010, people from Agen will be able to have a glimpse at the works of the first artistic "round", since there will be open doors for two days at Les Iles Leisure Centre on 14 -15 May from 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Sud Ouest – Agen - 2 May 2009
Partner Cities. German and Israeli artists staying in Agen.
"Blau Bleu Blue" on the tracks
Thanks to its twinning with the German city of Dinslaken, Agen is part and parcel of a huge European cultural project, called "Blau Bleu Blue", included in "Twins 2010", an international program especially elaborated to support the Ruhr candidature for the title of European capital. On Wednesday evening, in the Salle des Illustres, the municipality represented by Bernard Lucet, first deputy-mayor, was happy to welcome the artists and their partners in this operation, which is quite original and will continue for more than one year. Ursula Marquez, President of Agen-Dinslaken Twin Committee, welcomed ArteFact artists from Agen, six German artists and two Israeli artists from Arad, the partner city of Dinslaken. The project "Blau Bleu Blue" is part of a large number of cultural events which will culminate in "Ruhr 2010" festivities, and "Twins 2010" gathering more than thirty towns in the Ruhr valley, which are the partner cities of other European towns, Agen being of their number. "BBB" has been planned as a German, French and Israeli project. Artists from the three towns are to work together on topics as varied as the countryside around Agen and the city, the South West of France, the desert in Israel and the industrial towns of the Ruhr.
EUROPEAN CULTURE TO IDENTIFY
Obviously, there are different ways to approach the topics and singularities of each place. The vision of those artists will help people who cannot travel to the sites, to impregnate with them, to discover horizons, landscapes that influence culture and traditions in each territory. It is thus a wide cultural action being launched. It will have a wider repercussion as it is destined to reach beyond the range of "Twins 2010", and aims at being taken up every three years, on special occasions or cultural festivities that have not yet been planned.
At the moment, the German and Israeli artists are here in Agen for approximately two weeks. A delegation of their homologues from Agen, a dozen of them, will pack later on, and will go and find their inspiration in the sand and stones of the desert in Arad, and in the hardworking valley of the Ruhr.
The works of the three teams of artists will have to be achieved in approximately one year, as the exhibition will open in Dinslaken on August 29th next year for about six weeks. We can imagine that people in Agen will be let admire them later. "Blau Bleu Blue", thus a virtuous circle has opened. In the townhall of Agen, everyone rejoices and claps hands.
D.M.
La Dépêche du Midi Agen Friday, 8 May 2009
ARTS
The 19 German, French from Agen and Israeli artists have established a link and a red thread, or rather a blue one: Their blue thread, "Leur cordon bleu"
Tonight, the adventure takes an end. Or rather the first chapter, because the 19 artists who participated, are really determined to write a multitude of chapters before their next physical meeting, scheduled in Arad (Israel), in April 2010, then in Dinslaken (Germany), in August of the same year.
These artists have got to know one another and have worked together for two weeks in the recreation center "Centre de loisirs des Iles d'Agen": 19 painters, sculptors, photographers, graphic designers, ceramists, twelve of them from Agen, two from Israel and five artists from Germany. These "specialists" of the brush, the image, the shapes and the colors, have joined in the same art-project of European dimension* which connects the three partner cities Agen, Arad and Dinslaken around the theme "BLAU-BLEU-BLUE".
"Community"
Two weeks ago, they did not know one another and "juggled" for understanding in French, English, Hebrew, German and Dutch. Yesterday, for their penultimate day together, these artists had found their collective language, that of creation in blue tinges. "Blue that does not exist without red. Blue for changing the pool of blood into an actual ocean", is written on the newsletter of their impressions in common.
"What we share, we don´t need to translate. We have really managed to understand; especially thanks to one of our artists that made us dance together, thus breaking the ice. Artistically, there was a true community, some were inspired by the individual approach, the perception of the environment, as well as the artistic methods of others", says Marleen Looijen, President of Artefact (to which the twelve artists from Agen are members).
As a result, the recreation center had both the appearance of a large exhibition workshop and a large family gathering. A "family" who has decided to communicate throughout the year via a blog (1). The opportunity to strengthen the relationship comes to weaving.
(1) www.blaubleublue.ning.com Author: Valérie Deyme v.deymes @ sudouest.com (*) TWINS2010, das Partnerstädteprogramm der RUHR.2010 (Translation: GS+UIV)
sudouest.com Lot-et-Garonne Friday, 15 May 2009
ARTISTS FROM ALL COUNTRIES…
Among the artists involved in the international project called « Blau Blue Bleu », eleven of them were walking the streets of Auvillar these last days. They had come from Germany, Israel and even from France. Nanie, a local artist painter, welcomed them to visit the place.
They were much impressed by the beauty of the village and benefited from the current exhibitions at A7 Gallery, the Garage and the Tourism Office.
Their project is a cultural one between three towns – Agen, Dinslaken (Germany) and Arad (Israel) – which starts in 2009 until 2010 summer.
In 2010 spring, they will go to Israel, then to Germany in August, for a six-week exhibition.
La Dépêche du Midi - Friday, 16 May 2009
