Guests identified by the French cultural network abroad

Each FOCUS participant is invited at the suggestion of the French cultural network abroad. These targeted invitations bring together influential professionals interested in the French scene. 

"We've been collaborating with the Institut français de Tunisie for several years now," explains Aymen Gharbi, co-director of the Interference festival in Tunis, for example. "I was first invited to take part in the FOCUS program during the Covid period, but the program was entirely online. With the invitation renewed, it's a real pleasure to be able to participate face-to-face this time." 

Léna Szirmay-Kalos, projects and exhibitions manager at House of Music Hungary, for her part was approached by the French Institute in Budapest. She explains that she accepted the invitation because "FOCUS corresponds perfectly to the current research carried out by her institution around sound, image and digital creation". 

From Mexico, Josue Ibañez, independent curator and director of Offf Mx, was spotted after representatives of the French Institute visited his festival: "They came to see what we were doing and followed my work. A few months later, I received an invitation to take part in FOCUS. I had no idea then that the program would be so rich."

Discovering the richness and singularity of the French scene

From Centquatre to the Canadian Cultural Centre, via Cube Garges and independent galleries such as Avant Galerie Vossen and New Gallery, the FOCUS itinerary offered a comprehensive panorama of the French digital arts scene. 

"It's hard to pick just one moment, the whole program was exciting," confides Aymen Gharbi. For Kristín Scheving, director of the LÁ Art Museum near Reykjavik in Iceland, discovering Le Centquatre, where the main exhibition of the Némo Biennial is being held, was a highlight: "I was absolutely amazed. It's a model for the whole world, a way of bringing a whole community together around creation. I didn't know about this place, and I said to myself: this is what I'd like to do too." 

Léna Szirmay-Kalos, from House of Music Hungary, also remembers her visit to Le Centquatre. "I had the chance to talk with Marialya Bestougeff, Director of Innovation and 104factory. At the end of the day, I immediately sent an e-mail to a Hungarian structure to put them in touch. This is exactly what the FOCUS program enables: to move very quickly to concrete cooperation." 

Both also greatly appreciated the visits to the New Galerie and Avant Galerie Vossen, in the Marais district of Paris. Léna Szirmay-Kalos points out that the exhibition From Spam to Slop at Avant Galerie Vossen is "brilliant and funny". "It perfectly reflects our relationship with screens and information overload. A playful yet critical way of talking about the contemporary world," she points out. 

For his part, Josue Ibañez was particularly struck by his encounter with Mathilde Lauret, in residence at the Cité internationale des arts: "This hearing-impaired artist translates her perception of sound through vibrations and colors. When asked if her room, facing the Seine, was noisy, she replied: I'm deaf, but I feel the vibrations. This moment reminded me why art exists: to expand our senses.". 

A springboard for the international distribution of French artists

The feedback shared by professionals invited to take part in the FOCUS testifies to the relevance of the scheme. 

"FOCUS enables us to meet French artists, institutions and curators. It's a rare opportunity to understand how this scene works, and to identify projects we could host," explains Léna Szirmay-Kalos. "I've already noted several artists I'm going to contact," adds Kristín Scheving. 

For Josue Ibañez, FOCUS opens up new perspectives for the Offf Mx festival. "What I've seen here makes me want to open up our programming even more to collaborations with France. The level of thought and creativity is remarkable." 

"We leave with ideas, contacts. These meetings open up new prospects for collaboration. We leave with the desire to invite French artists, but above all to co-create with them," concludes Aymen Gharbi.