What is this International Biennial of Toulouse? Here are the four things to know
By Anthony Assemat
Published on
Toulouse is in Biennial mode. If the Pink City does not yet have a large-scale festival under this name – clike the Biennale of Contemporary Art in Lyon we the Paris Biennale – it does not disarm for all that. This was the great defect of cultural venues in Toulouse until now: to operate each on its own, without interaction or synergy.
“Giving a cultural identity to the Toulouse metropolis”
This Biennial, which bears the name of Toulouse International Live Arts Festival Occitania was created to fill this weakness and speak (almost) with one voice. “It’s a territorial issue, that of giving a cultural identity and a collective strength to the Toulouse metropolis”, indicates the organization of the Biennale.
“We had almost forgotten that the Biennale existed…”
From September 29 to October 15, 2022, will be held the 2e editing. After a first edition without a future (and for good reason, the Covid crisis had passed through there), the return of the Biennale, initially planned for 2021, has been postponed to 2022 in order to allow for a full, intense meeting. and succeeded. “We had almost forgotten that the Biennale existed…”, even admits Stéphane Gil, co-director of the Théâtredelacité and one of the linchpins of the event.
Here are the four things to know about this meeting that will do everything not to fall into oblivion…
#1. More than 20 rooms mobilized
The Toulouse Biennale is 200 artists, more than 30 creative projects and 23 places mobilized in the Pink City and the conurbation. Here is the list of venues that will offer shows for 15 days:
- Altigone Room (Saint Orens)
- arto (Ramondville)
- Alban Minville Cultural Center (Toulouse)
- Bellegarde Cultural Center (Toulouse)
- Bonnefoy Cultural Center (Toulouse)
- Job space, at the Seven Deniers (Toulouse)
- Mazades Theater (Toulouse)
- The Poetry Cellar (Toulouse)
- The Cinematheque of Toulouse
- The Grainery (Balma)
- The little (Toulouse)
- Dance Square (Toulouse)
- The Metronum (Toulouse)
- Slaughterhouses (Toulouse)
- Stopover (tourfeuille)
- The Wind of Signs (Toulouse)
- The Common Space (Toulouse)
- Factory (tourfeuille)
- Mix’Art Myrys (Toulouse)
- Odyssud (Blagnac)
- nomadic pavilion (Toulouse)
- The Ring (Toulouse)
- The Theaterdelacité (Toulouse)
- The Grand Rond Theater (Toulouse)
- The Garonne Theater (Toulouse)
- The Hangar Theater (Toulouse)
- The Sorano Theater (Toulouse)
- The Quai des Arts (Cugnaux)
“We wanted to be fair in the artistic choices and the geographical distribution, between the small ones, the big ones, the city center and the outskirts, the halls labeled or not”, specifies Stéphane Gil.
The Biennale is a common cultural event, without its own legal entity. Two-thirds of it is financed by the organizing structures and one-third by the local authorities. The organizers are waiting nearly 20,000 spectators in very diverse fields (dance, theatre, circus, DJ set, performances, etc.).
#2. What are the themes?
The 2022 Biennale and the shows that will be performed have been divided into five themes:
- “Walking on the head”where we talk about common sense, the world before and after… In short, allusions to a time not so distant…
- “Revisiting your classics” : it’s time to review your classics
- “One Foot Out” : the public space will be used for the representation of shows
- “Fall out of his seat” : how to modify your landmarks and surprise the spectator…
- “Second degree” or how to juggle the absurd and self-mockery
#3. Because Switzerland is worth it
The Biennial will give pride of place to Switzerland, “a scene in full effervescence” according to the organizers. More than a dozen proposals will be discovered. Among them, “Opa”which returns to the story of the beautiful and disturbing Hélène de Troie (Thursday September 29, 2022 at 7 p.m., at the Sorano), a clownish show entitled ” The guard “, where the Swiss Guard takes it for its rank (from September 29 to 1uh October 2022 at the Grand Rond and on Saturday 1uh October also on the forecourt of the Espace Job), “Company under construction” which destroys “the interests of real estate capital” (from September 29 to October 2, 2022 at the ThéâtredelaCité) or even a “Play without actor(s)” which will drive you crazy with a deserted stage… but not empty (Saturday 1uh October 2022 at the Sorano).
The same evening, at the ThéâtredelaCité, there will be a helivetic DJ set from 11 p.m. with Leah Pohlhammer. Enjoy it, it will be free!
#4. Outdoor shows that will surprise you
The Biennale of Living Arts is at the crossroads of all the arts. If, in the rooms of the Pink City, the show promises to be total, the show will also be in the street.
Five dates will take you out of your daily routine if you wander around the city. Example with “LOStheULTRAMAR”, a traveling Mexican street performance that will be visible in the city center (Saturday 1uh October at 11:30 a.m. and 6:45 p.m.). Also don’t miss “A piece of 2”, a Dutch artist will play the rock tightrope walkers, from October 6 to 9, 2022 each afternoon.
Also in the center of Toulouse, rue d’Alsace-Lorraine, a puppet performance should catch your attention with “Sisypholia” by Natacha Belova, from October 5 to 8, 2022. You might be confused by this revival of the myth of Sisyphus…
” Golden age “ will animate the aisles of the Leclerc Blagnac shopping center, from October 5 to 8, 2022. A “sensitive experience” and a “shifting of the gaze” which will last 1h10 (price of 8 euros).
.
Was this article helpful to you? Note that you can follow Actu Toulouse in the My Actu space. In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.