The Villa Antipode must respond, above all, to a logic of exchange and take into account the reality of New Zealand's remoteness.

The French Embassy in New Zealand has launched a new network of residences in 2024: Villa Antipode. Can you tell us about this project?

We have a history of residencies in New Zealand, the oldest of which is Randell Cottage, dedicated to writing and created twenty-three years ago. The others were conceived over the years: two of them are ten years old, and the latest is three years old. The project also stems from the reality of the country, located 18,000 kilometers from France: New Zealand is not a country you pass through by chance, it's a destination. This reality has an effect on the ability to generate cultural projects, and residency programs help to respond to this remoteness by giving them a new impetus. Our inspiration comes from the United States and the Villa Albertine, whose concept we have adapted, which is based on a multiplicity of locations and artistic forms.

What makes Villa Antipode so special?

The uniqueness of Villa Antipode comes from its multiculturality, its diversity. We have the Randell Cottage residency, centered around writing, where a writer can come for a set period of time, up to six months. There's also a residency in Auckland, linked to the encounter between the arts and digital technology, and another in Wellington, which focuses more broadly on the artistic world. Finally, the last one, also in Wellington, was added three years ago to highlight one of the city's particularities, which is to be Hollywood's antechamber for special effects and digital thanks to Peter Jackson and his studios. This is a major activity, with over 1,500 employees and dozens of independent studios for a city of Wellington's 200,000 inhabitants. Together with Victoria University, we've been able to set up this latest residence - CAM (Cinematic Arts Miramar - named after the area where Weta Studios is located) - dedicated exclusively to cinema, animation and special effects. It's also a first in the Pacific, a place where few residency programs are offered.

Interaction with the local community is an important aspect of these residences.

Within this program, how many artists will you host per year and in which disciplines?

Each year, we welcome four artists, one per residency, over different durations. The longest is six months, the others two months. For each residency, there is a selection committee: the guideline is to propose a project with a link to New Zealand. They must be interested in the location and the way in which they can be supported locally. There's no obligation to make an exhibition or show anything, the essential thing is to talk about your work, to exchange and create with local artists. Interaction with the local community is an important aspect of these residencies. If something is showable, it's of course important for the program's communication, but there's no pressure.

Four partner residences, Randell Cottage, Te Ataata, Te Whare Hēra and Cinematic Arts Miramar, are current. What are the specifics of each?

In our communication, we evoke the term Villa Antipode, but each of the residences has its own specificities, whether thematic, location or time. They are not all open at the same time of year, which gives artists more possibilities depending on their schedule. For the two residencies linked to the art world, there are two windows of opportunity: depending on the artist's work, it may be more relevant to be in Auckland, or Wellington in terms of work objectives. For the other two residencies, things are more defined: one is about cinema, the other is a writing residency. The aim of Villa Antipode is to rationalize our practices, to have the same methodologies and follow the same approach in each of these residencies. This allows us to communicate all at once, giving greater visibility both to the call for applications and to the selected artists. It also allows us to be part of a global logic and to create, we hope in the medium term, synergies with villa programs around the world.

The infrastructures and networks of partner universities allied to the country's seven Alliances Françaises enable immersion in New Zealand society. How do these relationships with France work?

For the writing residency, it's really about having a quiet place and time. We help the resident meet New Zealand's literary world. The universities have a lot of resources and open their doors completely to each of our residents. Every time, we're blown away, because they have access to so many resources and infrastructures. That's why the selection process is so important, since we make sure that the chosen person can be welcomed into the university in question to work on a subject that interests him or her, in front of people who are capable of supporting him or her. The projects we work on are linked to Maori culture, a highly codified oral culture, and we obviously have no right to use elements belonging to it without authorization. That said, everything is possible, as specialized professors at each university ensure that no mistakes are made in the process. When you're interested in this culture, this work is part of a logic of exchange and the reality of the territory: it's a real plus in understanding what the world around us is and the vision that other cultures may have of it.

How would you sum up the first year of Villa Antipode?

This first year, we asked ourselves about communication and first and foremost what name to give our Villa. The first choice of name, the Maori equivalent of New Zealand, Aotearoa, was appropriate for the country, but unsuited to the logic of international visibility. We then thought of Villa Antipode, which works well because, in English, it's more or less the same thing, and, in France, it works immediately. What's more, the Petit Robert itself illustrates its definition of antipode with the phrase "New Zealand is the antipode of France." In terms of visibility and understanding, it works, but we'll have to see what happens over time. Cultural players are also starting to make the connection with residencies, but there's still a long way to go. The priority is to develop a coherent communication strategy to highlight the excellent work of our partners. The first stage with the creation of the name and logo gives us a strong visual signature, and thanks to funding from the Fabrique des résidences we've been able to call in a graphic designer, Claire Wastiaux.

How do you see the Villa developing in 2025 and over the next few years?

It's essential to perpetuate the administrative part and more broadly the structuring of Villa Antipode with our partners. Here too, we have benefited from the support of the Institut français, thanks to Noémie Clarke's participation in the "conception and development of artist residencies" training course. We're currently discussing the possibility of setting up a Foundation. We also need to continue communicating to give greater visibility in France to the Villa Antipode and the artists who have taken part in its various residencies. In this way, they can be former residents of the Villa Antipode and, by carrying this image, reinforce it. At a selection committee meeting, a former resident of Villa Kujoyama was particularly enthusiastic about the idea of now being one of Villa Antipode's first residents. She really liked the continuity between these different networks. Thanks to these artists, it will be possible to create more institutional links to give full substance to Villa Antipode.