an english speaker in lyon

I oficially miss the saturdays when I was sixteen...school would officially be over until next Mo, latest Tue, the days would start smooth and somewhat lazy- morning coffee in a a cozy, yet fashionable coffeeshop labelled as "...mom, that doctor appointment...", ganging up with your friends, discussing the week (stringent at those times issues as "my Ro teacher is such a "motherf", "the guy in class was so cute on Fri", "got a C,mom is so going to desinherit me" and examples could follow) and then...then...the Sat challenge: where to go tonight?

Once that was settled- we always were brand faithfull!- afterdark or, late 16s, kripton, other issues were litterarly put on the coffee table: what to wear?who to borrow it from?or do we also have time to shop today?should we do something different with our hair? and all these actually depended on "who else" was going out that particullar Sat...three phone calls after that, all info at hand, we would start getting ready...

The night would-more often than not-be quite close to our idea of perfection -or so I recall after 3 Cosmos and a beer-, all intended would be there, the music would be good and our table would always be the first one on the right.

It was actually then when we started painting the town red- obviously,with parental agreement- from 2 up to 4 a.m.(mine personally was until 3 a.m., but always cheated around it- would actually tell mom that i shared a cab, cab that I had to wait for-can you imagine?!?!-, it was raining, i lost a heal and so on...

those were the Saturdays!

i was thinking about relationships the other day and came to realise 3 important steps in each and every relationship:

the first time you organise an event together (or assist at) and here the range can vary- an ambiental concert given by the kids within the belgian embassy, a qbp, a bumpy road together in a the back of a van with press releases flying all over, a trip to snowy giron on a sunday...

then there comes the time when you take your coffee mug over- which can be grasped as either marking your territory or just assuring basic igienical conditions....

and last- the first time you order Chinese together- a rice to begin with (shrimp or vegies recommended), choosing the topping,the matching chicken....waiting for the order (in the least 3 hours!) ..then enjoying the order and wishing for water....

a 4th-optional- moment might be the first time you enjoy the other's liitle delicacies- spotted banannas or chocolate with chili filling are only two examples.

enjoy!

On Boursicot's "Noaptea devoratorilor", on "Noaptea alba a galeriilor" sau cum mi-am redefinit eul la galeria Hag, on "Noaptea Institutelor Culturale" sau film la Cervantes si steag UK afisat opulent in curtea Elvirei...

Event : « Elles » Exibition, by Pierre Yves Ginet,
             Musée de Déportation de Lyon
             November 2006


Expectations induced by the affiche- “Exister, Resister. Ici et ailleurs”.
Surpassing the stereotype of woman-victim, woman-minority-to-be-protected- at all-times.
Also, I expected a certain female resistence, partly due to the location in itself- Musee de Resistence.

Walls brimful of pictures continuing bluntly into other walls.
Wrong choice of trajectory, from my part.
First seen “Resister”- “Ni putes, ni sumises”. “Fière”. Then, “survivre”, “exister”. At the border of various, global experiences.
Frightening ones, more often than not.
Genre :Photojournalism.
Photography
Portraits, landscapes.
Americain plans of kurd women or “plongés” on the “mères” in “Place de Mai”.

Press pack grasped beforehand announcing the fact that the photographer focussed on our mixt society « dont l’histoire se conjuge au feminin comme au masculin ». 120 pictures of power and distinction, from 27 countries.
The experience in itself: 20 pictures more or less of power, numberless the ones showing women in pain, sterilised, scarred….
Surviving and perpetually reconstructing.
Soar taste of womanhood.
Some themes more exploited than others.

In terms of organisation, not that coherent the disposal of the pictures- other than their being rounded up by geographical region…
Generally acknowledged the association of text-image (“mot et image- c’est comme chaise et table- si vous voulez mettre à table, vous avez besoin des deux “- J.L.Godard), too exploited though here- I recognize de urge of having a proper historical and cultural background, but however feel somewhat constrained by the « legend » annexed to the image, thus blurring the informational role of a picture in itself. And subsequently, minimising the role of an active viewer.

Speaking time (quantity, quality):2 h or so.
Beginning staircase and discussions. Grasping his “demarche”- choosing a theme, packing and leaving for remote areas, contacting local NGOs, following a “fixer”- interpreter, translator and surprising situations, experiences, glances.
Grasping some pictures and themes, as to find out their finality (for the photographer as both an individual and as a professional).
Exchange
We- presenting him to his work.
Our position probably not too skilfully abused of.

A conclusion in terms of pleasure & instruction?
Saluting the creation of the association “Femmes ici et ailleurs” around this particular project.
Conscience of feminist movements in France and around the globe (Place des Mères- “mon fils biologique c’est transforme en 30 000 enfants…”).
Interesting also the point of view behind the lens.
Yet, despite all these attempts, I feel a scarlet letter still there….

As far as context,
Best US book published in the last 25 years. Nobel prize winner. Highest of expectations.
Bilingual highschool hosts. Culture lyonnaise assize. Window grasping.

Theme/ Topic
Complete works.
Latest exhibition “Etranger chez soi” “mise en scène” at the Louvre.
Slavery, urban life, jazz,
omniscient narrator versus
“characters hors livre”.

Speaker(s)
Credits for co-organisers. Partnership with “Progres” for “les Assises”. Cute (though neither curly, nor blond) Chartreaux host. Intrusive translator and “Le Monde” journalist in direct contact with “the” narrator.
Organization
Good use of space reported to the cramming crowd.
Flawless, overall.

Speaking time (quantity)
2 h or so.
4 pages read and felt in 20 soothing minutes.

Speaking time (quality)
A plus for the sound. Reading excerpt from “Jazz”. Public deeply engrossed. A voice ruling a room.
Reaps of applauses.

Exchange
Q& A with “le Monde” journalist. Help with homework (biblical reference and “522”) for students of Chartreaux.
Conclusion in terms of pleasure & instruction

1st account on Toni Morrison and her works- in Med Cult class. Individual reading. Grasping exhibition in Paris.
Style acknowledged.
“I would love to have her as a story teller…….”

1st notice on this, again at Mediation Culturelle class, and on “etu”. No experience whatsoever in the field, however interest and curiosity. Brimful of enthusiasm, sent “e-mail of intention”.

Feedback, followed by a first encounter. 4 people. First ideas stemmed when seeing the showroom. Creativity restrained by lack of budget. Several weeks of non-communication, followed by a tight deadline. Coffee in Bellecour and project-based-discussions. Unanimous idea of overusing their “institutional” colours (perhaps also degrade?).
Tissues, retro projectors, diaporama of ancient headquarters and Citroen models? Still priceless….(sic!)
Latter account to the "siege" where all our attempts at imagination and innovation are un dercut by lack of budget.
Discuss issue also in class. And coffee again. Carol’s active participation. And yet another joint visit at the “siege”. Still without a budget, we brainstorm some more. We even lower our prices (7000 down to 1000, these also taken up by an association), and with them our expectations.
Coherence of ideas with Carol. Diversion “Citroen seen by Picasso, Cezanne, Matisse”. Yet Citroen C4 put on the spotlight as their latest.
We begin. Excursion to Bron to cut offlittle cars in black , thick paper ( this due to an apparent lack of red paper on the Lyon market).
4 laughs later, we meet at the showroom. We fiercely carry reproprojectors, we skillfully use a cutter in “producing” yet another car in the same black paper. “Wrapping” neons. Carol to provide us with the proper training. Music in the background, the director and other visitors /buyers to see us. And “fils”, and cables, and wires.
Sticking up the little cartoon cars on the lateral windows, while unsticking a bad commercial for “Eurocasion” from the very same glass.
Retroprojecteurs in our backs, so as to create a difuse redish light. We go up and start hanging neons. Pretty much like hanging Xmas decorations. Slightly  heavier….
We “branche”. 1st defeat: 3 neons do not work. We – women- panic. Yet Carol fixes the problem instantly. We boast.
Until we see it globally light up for the 1st day of “fete Lumieres”. The “R” not working since times immemorial and the obvious lack of emphasis on their classical logo, which we- thus uselessly- tried to recreate physically and temporarily “playing” with dispearsed neons.
The redish light proved not to be very effective either- as they were positioned too low on the floor, so that their presence could be noticeable from a far.
Thus, the impression of nothing new in the disposal of the showroom!
And, unfortunately, no one could stay forever in front of the building – a plus for the building as such- as to explain the initial concept, the harsh work conditions of work and –subsequently- the final touch(believe me, I tried to for a few hours!)