"Biotopies. Manières d'être vivant": the French Institute in Germany organizes its Nuit des Idées (Night of Ideas)
Published on 15 July 2024
The 2024 edition of the Night of Ideas was held in Germany on June 11. The evening, dedicated to the theme "Biotopies. Ways of being alive", was an opportunity to meet, exchange and debate with philosophers, artists, scientists and activists. Here's a look back at a program rich in reflection and artistic performance.
The French Institute in Germany has made the debate of ideas a major focus of its programming and supports the free circulation of ideas and knowledge. It invites the public to question their habits, to rethink their relationship with the world, and, as part of the Night of Ideas, to question their relationship with the Earth and all its inhabitants. This year's guest of honor was writer and artist Camille de Toledo, who for several years has been committed to the rights of nature and the legal personalization of ecosystems.
The evening of June 11, 2024 was punctuated by two main round tables. The first, focusing on the links between democracy and ecology, brought together three young activists from France and Germany, involved in movements such as Fridays for Future and Youth for Climate. The result was a highly enriching exchange, enriched by their different perspectives and backgrounds. The second discussion, led by Camille de Toledo, journalist Elisabeth Weydt and sociologist Bastien Fond, explored new ways of cohabiting with living things.
La Nuit des idées also welcomed short, original intervention formats such as the "mini-drawn lectures", during which author Fleur Daugey and biologist Caroline Weh presented their research and their profession in fifteen minutes, accompanied by an illustrator. We could also mention the "fireworks of ideas", a succession of short, concrete or utopian proposals made by several artists and scientists.
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Exchanging ideas, broadening our horizons of thought, being stimulated - these were the reasons why the French Institute of Germany created the "living library" that took place in the media library. During a fifteen-minute one-to-one conversation, members of the public had the opportunity to borrow a "living book" from among the twenty or so guests present: for example, a researcher specializing in voodoo in Benin, a raccoon "diplomat", or a landscape architect.
La Nuit des idées 2024 was conceived as an interdisciplinary event, offering a multi-faceted approach to our links with the living world. In a single venue, the Maison de France, it was therefore possible to attend the dance performance "Troisième Nature", opening the evening, see the film "Le Règne Animal" by Thomas Cailley or visit the architecture exhibition "Growing Villages", the result of an architectural ideas competition.
The evening was also marked by Joséphine Auffray's "Choreographic Plant Room" augmented reality art performance, inviting viewers to interact with a lush, virtual flora of the South Pacific. Other immersive virtual reality experiences didn't fail to surprise visitors, taking them into the deep sea ("Biolum",) or to the discovery of a city from an unusual perspective ("On a marche sur la terre").
Little before midnight, the public gathered around the grand piano at the Maison de France to listen to artists Sara Gouzy and Justine Eckhaut perform a recital for voice and piano, entitled "Birdsong". Blending birdsong and voice, this spellbinding performance closed the Nuit des idées on an inspiring and luminous note.
The 2024 edition of the Nuit des idées was intended as an open window on a possible world. Built in partnership with the Marc-Bloch Center and the Museum für Naturkunde, it gave rise to memorable exchanges and a varied program. The project was designed to be eco-responsible, encouraging soft mobility and offering environmentally-friendly catering options. Whenever possible, a satellite program was offered to guests from France or Belgium, enabling them to speak several times during their stay, notably in Berlin schools, kitas or media libraries.
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