BEFFROIS DE LA CULTURE - ecoc-doc-athens

work of great masters and highlighted classical heritage.
Alongside the Rubens phenomenen (>), from
Mexique-Europe, to Egyptology and Auguste
Mariette (Boulogne-sur-Mer castle museum), to
Picasso peintre d’objets (La Piscine de Roubaix),
we witnessed also the Cinémas du futur (le 2004 à
Euralille), Robots (le Tri Postal de Lille), young
Japanese creativity at Akimahen (Maison Folie de
Lille Wazemmes) or a Ousmane Sow retrospective
(Maison Folie de Mons-en-Baroeul).
In the same way, the European Capital of Culture
chose to highlight the museums of the Euroregion
as well as underline the importance of new exhibition
venues. Throughout the year, the public (re)discovered
the many great museums of the region, and
also visited numerous atypical venues for the displaying
of art (Le 2004 à Euralille in the heart of a
shopping centre; the Tri Postal formerly occupied by
postmen; the Maisons Folie…). It goes without saying:
the visual arts feed upon “unartistic” venues as
much as museums.
During its first season (>), Lille 2004 paid close
attention to the theme of the future; contemporary
utopian ideas and the future of yesterday (as imagined
by our ancestors) rub shoulders in exhibitions
such as Robots!, V oitures du Futur, and Cinémas du
Futur which capture the imagination of the general
public. Flower Power was also all the rage; and
Annette Messager worked on the theme of memory
in the Hospice Comtesse.
The second season (>) was marked by the “Rubens
phenomenen”. The public enjoyed Watteau
(Valenciennes), Auguste Mariette (Boulogne-sur-
Mer) and Ingres (Cambrai), as well as video games
at Game O n and contemporary African art, Les
Afriques (both Lille).
Finally, the third season (>) looked at art in our
everyday life through the themes of architecture (>)
and design (>). The applied arts were also fêted
(Picasso, Matisse…), as was Mexican art with the
major Mexique-Europe exhibition at the Musée
d’Art Moderne in Villeneuve d’Ascq.
In total, the European Capital of Culture proposed
over 200 art exhibitions and installations.
ASSOCIATION LILLE HORIZ ON 2 0 0 4
From January 2000 to the present overview, the
Lille 2004 event has been managed by the
Association Lille 2 0 0 4 . Presided by Martine Aubry,
Mayor of Lille, it boasts 42 board members
regrouped within three colleges (cultural, economic
and institutional). See Conseil d’Administration
(Board of Memb ers) in Frenc h version.
AUBRY (MARTINE)
“T o make the people of the North proud of their
region and their culture, to provide beautiful emotions”.
At the end of November 2004, the Mayor of
Lille and President of the Association Lille Horizon
2004 reminded us of her “dream” for Lille 2004.
Lille’s highest magistrate is totally behind the project,
as soon as 1998 when Lille is nominated for
the title of European Capital of Culture for 2004.
She puts forward her wish for an event which
“incarnates (our) collective attachment to (our)
roots”, but which is also “a magnificent opportunity
to project ourselves into the future”.
In total symbiosis with Didier Fusillier (Director)
and Laurent Dré ano (General Coordinator), Martine
Aub ry injected her dynamism, over four years, into
the preparation of the event.
(B)
BARNUM DES P OSTES
A village of circus tents set up in Lille from the end
of April to mid-July 2004. New circus, British pop,
clowns, hip-hop dance, accordion, diva punk, puppetry
of the third kind, deviant jazz, football comedy,
percussions a go-go, gypsy music, electro clash,
a pétanque tournament: all these things and more
were on the menu at the Barnum. A festive and creative
spirit, the crème of local artists, a joyous mix
of disciplines and atmospheres combine to make it
one of the key venues of the year.
The Barnum des Postes was initially an idea to
implant the spirit of Lille 2004 at the crossroads
between four of the least privileged districts of Lille.
A festive atmosphere with a drive for artistic excellence,
as envisaged by Olivier Sergent, project manager.
Symbolically, the first performance given
under the big top was made especially for local children
by the Centre National des Arts du Cirq ue. For
nine full weeks, artistic disciplines were performed
on stage as well short initiation courses organised.
In total, the Barnum welcomed 32,000 people.
On 13 July, more than 2,000 spectators applauded
the tarafs, - who came from Eastern Europe and the
East of Lille -, and celebrated the closing of a shortlived
but unforgettable venue.
BEFFROIS DE LA CULTURE
(CULTURE IN OUR BELFRIES)
An initiative on behalf of the Conseil Régional
Nord/Pas-de-Calais and its President Daniel
Percheron and his vice-president Ivan Renar. The
Beffrois de la culture was the making available of
masterworks loaned by major national museums to
regional towns having no museum of their own. In
January, T he T hinker by Rodin sat proudly in the
Town Hall of Liévin (Pas-de-Calais). A symbol.
Indeed, the first month saw 12,000 visitors keen to
discover masterworks hitherto reserved only to
somewhat intimidating venues.
All year round, through twelve monthly themes, the
appetite for culture did not diminish. At the height
of summer, the belfry of Aulnoye-Aymeries was full
of admiring crowds for the visit of works by P icasso.
Already, plans are afoot to ensure that this
dynamism started during Lille 2004 should continue.
And, at the end of the year, the announcement
was made that the Louvre II annexe will open in
Lens in 2008!
BELGIQUE (BELGIUM)
Lille 2004 wished constantly to go beyond its own
borders and reach out to its neighbours (>
Transfrontalier). Many events were organised with
the towns and the French Community of Belgium.
The geographic, historical and cultural links; a common
past, brought forth cross-border collaborations.
Feria Musica, the Belgian theatre-circus company
transported its V ertige du papillon show to the
Phénix (Valenciennes) in January. In March,
Ch oiseul, th e Maison Folie of Tournai was opened.
In March, Rub ens was also celebrated in his former
home in Antwerp. In June, Marth e Wé ry’s monographic
exhibition in the Beaux-Arts museum of
Tournai took its natural place in the Lille 2004
artistic programme. And in September, the Routes
and couleurs de la pierre series of events successfully
highlighted the traditional stone working activities
from in and around Tournai.
BILLETTERIE (TICKETING)
From 6 December 2003 to 28 November 2004,
more than 2.8 million tickets were emitted. This
marked the consecration of a much hard work to
create a network between Lille 2004, its many cultural
partners and the existing ticket agencies in
France.
BUDGET
The programme of activities of Lille 2004 amounted
to 73,7m (483 MF). This is an average budget
for European Capitals of Culture, yet it concerned a
uniquely large scale event embracing 193 municipalities!
See Bu dg et details in Frenc h version.
CAP ITALES EUROP EÉ NNES DE LA CULTURE
(EUROPEAN CAPITALS OF CULTURE)
The European Capitals of Culture were created by
the Ministers of Culture of the European Union.
Athens became the first Cultural Capital of Europe
in 1985. The event was conceived in order to help
bring together different cultures.
To be named as European Capital of Culture represents
an unparalleled opportunity to assert the city’s
identity on the European cultural map, as well as
generating important media and tourism interest.
From their inception, the European Capitals of
Culture enjoyed great success both with the general
public and the media. Glasgow has transformed
into a laboratory for culture since 1990; Antwerp
has seen its notoriety enhanced across Northern
Europe. These events show the capacity for people
to build partnerships and generate dynamism with
political institutions, and cultural, economic and
social bodies.
Even if each town has built their programming
according to its cultural, political, economic and
social context, three trends have appeared. Glasgow
90 or Porto 2001 chose to base their programming
upon the construction of new infrastructures.
Others like Florence 86 or Dublin 91 envisioned the
programme in the form of a festival. Still others, like
Antwerp 93 and Helsinki 2000, envisaged a series
of artistic themes. This third approach has been
developed over the years, as this way allows a better
legibility of the programme for the public, who
sometimes have the choice between over 800
events in one year. Lille innovated by being the first
city to extend the event across a whole Euroregional
territory: 193 towns and cities.
See list of p reviou s Eu rop ean Cap itals of Cu ltu re in
Frenc h version
(C)
CINEMA
The silver screen, seen in various ways: from an
exhibition on the Cinémas du futur (immersive and
interactive works) to a lesson in things by Jean-Luc
Goddard (Collages de France) … Film shorts were
made by young European students on the occasion
of the Lille 2004 great celebrations.
CIRQUE (CIRCUS)
The nouveau cirq ue is involved all year long: with Le
P rato, the Arts Sauts, the Belgian circus company
Feria Musica, the Cah in-Cah a Company and the
Th é â tre de la Licorne, Joh an Le Guillerm...
CITÉ IDEALE
The participation of the State schools in Lille 2004:
a vast programme associating hundreds of primary,
secondary and technical schools from the Academy
of Lille, around the theme of the cité idéale. Pupils
were encouraged to take part in numerous artistic
disciplines (literature, architecture, gastronomy…),
thinking about an “ideal future” and a “new art of
living” as inspired by Lille 2004. Over 900 projects
came about, in tandem with a large numbers of visits
to Lille 2004 events and exhibitions by schoolchildren.
Some classes participated directly in projects
which were included in the official artistic programme…
CLUBBING
In a region ever open to electronic music, - at the
end of 1980s, the first techno clubs in Europe burst
on the scene nearby, over the Belgian border -,
night-clubbing was rightly at the heart of the rhythm
of the European year of culture. Starting on the
opening celebration, an immense dancefloor on the
scale of a whole city pumped out electronic sounds
by P ierre Henry as well as Anglo-Saxon DJs. From
the early week-ends, the outstanding success of the
Nuits du T ri Postal became evident: one hour queue
to get in to the central venue of Lille 2004!
Art P oint M, the collective from Roubaix so fond of
time travel, invited the crème of international DJs
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