COLLECTIVE & ARTISTIC PRODUCTIONS
2022
Credits: Photograph Reine Ruthza by Sophie Comtet Kouyaté (left) and PAST PRESENT FUTURE by Oakland International Media Academy (right)
INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
Regardless of what they are called - suburbs, outskirts, banlieues - this exhibition aims at centering the margins. Exploring the banlieues in France and the United States, "In the Banlieues: Oakland/Saint-Denis" is presented throughout the summer in Paris, Saint-Denis, San Francisco and Oakland partly in co-production with the Pavillon de l'Arsenal in Paris and the urban agency SPUR in San Francisco. The exhibition is curated by June Grant, blinkLAB architecture and Laure Gayet, Légendes Urbaines.
2020 -2021
JULY 2021 - SPACES - OAKLAND
SPACES: Oakland is a project by Kaimera Productions.drew from California’s history and Oakland’s multiculturalism. Oaklanders shared personal stories that reflect the rich social and cultural fabric of an increasingly gentrified and culturally diverse city. Presented in Oakland’s historic downtown, SPACES took over the Oakland City Hall and the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, dominant emblems of authority that represent government bureaucracy. Learn more about Kaimera Productions here.
Credits: Photograph by Yann Mambert, dancer Gabin, SPACES Saint-Denis September 2021
SPACES 2022 - SAINT-DENIS
SPACES is a project by Kaimera Productions. An immersive experience that merges contemporary performance and the ancient art of storytelling, SPACES is a site-specific participatory work, created and performed with the local community that gives this place its life and identity. In Saint-Denis, audience members are guided in groups by silent dancers on a musical and dance. Learn more about Kaimera Productions here.
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 - SPACES - SAINT-DENIS
SPACES: Saint-Denis is a project by Kaimera Productions. It is brought to life the blend of cultures that make the city of Saint-Denis in the Métropole of Grand Paris, a medieval town and royal necropolis later industrialized to become a city for immigrants and for the working class. SPACES: Saint-Denis was performed at the Saint-Denis market and the Basilica of Saint-Denis and weaved together French history and urban transformation in full speed. Learn more about Kaimera Productions here.
2019
November 2019 - Learning Expedition in Oakland
A month after the learning expedition in Saint-Denis, the French delegation flew to Oakland to confront their practices to Californian innovative models. From 12-15 November, French and American artists, architects and urban planners resumed the discussion started in Saint-Denis over workshops, working sessions, and walking tours.
October 2019 - Nuit Blanche at “Gaîté Lyrique”
On October 5 2019, on the occasion of Nuit Blanche, a free annual dusk 'til dawn arts festival held in Paris, Gray Area Foundation for the Arts (a San Francisco-based cultural place dedicated to the digital arts) was given complete freedom at the Gaité Lyrique to explore immersive, audiovisual and performing experiences with concerts, 360° screenings, DJ and VJ sets during one of the most exciting events of Paris’ cultural nightlife !
The following artists performed during the event : Bleie x Chelley Sherman, Christina Chatfiled x Jono Brandel, Russell E.L. Butler x Ian Colon
2018
July 2018 - Francois Bon’s Residency / “A Description Of Oakland”
French writer and translator François Bon was the guest of the writing residency A Room with a View in July 2018 to conduct his project entitled A Description of Oakland. He took this opportunity to describe and question Oakland as an "urban laboratory", to meet the people who are transforming this artistic, urbanistic and social territory, and to explore Oakland's singularities. He has documented his observations through filming and writings.
Watch his videos about Oakland →
October 2019 - Learning Expedition in Saint-Denis
Relive the learning expedition of the Californian delegation immersed in Saint-Denis from 1-5 October 2019 to explore the best local practices and experience innovative tools that could be echoed across the Atlantic.
June 2019: Vincent Courtois’ Residency / “Love of Life”
During his residency in July 2019, the Cello-virtuoso Vincent Courtois along with musicians Daniel Erdmann and Robin Fincker recorded an album inspired by Oaklander writer Jack London’s novel Martin Eden. This album was recorded in Oakland and released in 2020. Vincent Courtois also imagined, during his stay in the Bay Area, the show “Oakland”, to be performed in 2020 in Paris, along with actor Pierre Baux.
Oakland/Saint-Denis’ visual identity!
Many thanks to Oaklandish and California Humanities for creating Oakland/Saint-Denis’ visual identity ! The logo features emblematic buildings from the two cities (the Basilique of Saint-Denis and the Tribune Tower in Oakland) and celebrates the two cities’ pride. A tee-shirt featuring the logo (as pictured) will be available shortly in every Oaklandish retail store - stay tuned!