By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Eric Fonteneau has collected pebbles that resemble
skulls in his work, "Monsters from the Beach."
All things French
Two festivals celebrate
By Burl Burlingame
the culture of another land
Star-BulletinThe French, they are a funny race. They burned Joan of Arc, claim not to have anything to do with french fries or French dressing (but do claim to have invented French kissing), harass hunchbacks living in cathedrals, worship Jerry Lewis, lose wars, and, worst of all, they concocted mayonnaise. And now here's a couple of weeks of a French invasion in Honolulu. Everywhere you turn in October, French stuff. So much for Oktoberfest.
The confusion is because there are essentially two separate French events occurring at the same time. While they're separate, each is hoping publicity from the other will rub off. It's a marketing synergy, or cultural/commercial critical mass, or something. And, to further confuse things, they use the same logo. When in France ...
One event is the "French Festival," which is primarily a commercial venture. It runs Oct. 4 to 12, and includes French chefs at local dining establishments doing fancy cheffery, French artisans demonstrating how to sew, whip up perfume and print scarves, and French designers showing off what looks good on slinky vampires strutting on a Paris runway.
Ground zero for the French Festival appears to be the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, although many shopping centers have their own promotions. The Royal Hawaiian event is "Paris in Paradise," and features a giant model of the Eiffel Tower and occasional singing of the French national anthem.
The official kickoff is 5 to 10:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at the shopping center. It includes music by Bon Ton Roule, the Honolulu String Quartet, duels by the "Three Musketeers," and the lighting of the Eiffel Tower.
The French Festival conclusion is a "Gala Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction," 6 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Tapa Ballroom of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The event raises funds for the Honolulu Youth Symphony and the French Festival itself. It includes a guy slicing off Moet champagne bottle necks with a saber and pouring the bubbly into a pyramid of glasses. Admission is $250. Call 947-7888 for details.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Sharon Tasaka, associate director of the UH art gallery,
stands in Sylvie Blocher's "Living Pictures/Tell Me."
The exhibit includes old clothes that people will walk
through as they watch a 15-minute video.
No word yet on whether Napoleon's Bakery is involved.The other event is "Crossings '97: France/Hawaii," and it's primarily an artistic and cultural celebration. It's been in the works for more than a decade -- actually, it's been bubbling like Moet in the mind of University of Hawaii art teacher Tom Klobe, project director. Most give him credit for the success of the project. "Tom was the shepherd," said Honolulu Academy of Arts Director George Ellis.
Essentially, it's kind of a mutual lend-lease pact between the artists of two countries. The cream (creme?) of contemporary French artists are displaying their works in several Honolulu galleries and museums, and their context is supported by historical and cultural displays in other museums. It's an unprecedented spasm of mutual cooperation in Honolulu's normally stand-offish cultural community.
"I think it's absolutely the richest thing in the visual arts that could happen in a community," enthused UH screen-printing teacher Allyn Bromley. "The whole island, from every major museum to every little gallery, is involved."
"Crossings" even has a kind of "passport" available for $2 that allows admission discounts at participating museums. Get it stamped at 12 museums, and you get a free poster.
"It began in 1986 with 'Crossings' 86,' which exchanged art between Japan and Hawaii," said Klobe. "In 'Crossings '89,' we sent 44 works to France, but nothing was sent here. Well, they're here now!"
The idea of a cultural exchange was revived and French art curator Pascal Letellier began scouring France for suitable artists.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
"Tears Column," or "Colonne de Larmes," by Francoise
Quardon of Paris, incorporates a verse from Virginia Woolf's
"The Waves," printed on the plates: "Alone I often fall down
into nothingness -- I must push my foot stealthily lest I
should fall off the edge of the world into nothingness.
I have to bang my head against some hard door
to call myself back to the body."
"It's a great deal of cultural enrichment, and the dynamics are very exciting," said Ellis. "It's such an excellent thing to do -- having all of us work together. None of us can do it all."Though more than 20 organizations are involved, the primary display venues are the Honolulu Academy of Arts, University of Hawaii Art Gallery and The Contemporary Museum. The other museums provide social and historic context for the modern French art, so it's really like a giant exhibit spread throughout Honolulu's museum community.
The Bishop Museum, for example, is exhibiting "French Views of Hawai'i: 1786-1839," pictures of the islands by French explorers, opening Oct. 6 in Hawaiian Hall. The Honolulu Symphony will play music by Berlio, DeBussy, Faure and Poulenc at their Oct. 19 and 21 concerts. The Hawaii Literary Arts Council presents readings by Luc Lang at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at the University of Hawaii Art Building.
Watch for related events in the Star-Bulletin's listings. They'll be marked with this symbol: D.
"We'd like to revive the 'Crossings' concept on a tri-ennial basis, and we're negotiating with other countries for the year 2000," said Klobe. "This could be a kind of cultural Olympics, and put Honolulu on the map as a cultural center."
The fall was chosen because it's traditionally a dead time for tourism, said Klobe, and an event like this, once it's established, could be the kind of easily identifiable marketing concept to attract "cultural tourists."
"If it becomes a regular event, then it becomes easier to market," said Ellis. "It creates awareness of Hawaii as a cultural center."
"This one is doing spectacularly well so far, even though it's kind of a test run," said Klobe. "The next one has got to be better."
Three galleries showcase
the arts of FranceThe Contemporary Museum
2411 Makiki Heights Drive
Hours:10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tue.-Sat., noon to 4 p.m. Sun., Oct. 1 to Nov. 23.
Conceptual/sculptural/installations with photographs by Martine Aballea, Christian Boltanski, Pat Bruder, Tom Drahos, Alan Fleischer, Jochen Gerz, Gotscho, Pierre Mercier, Annette Messager and Michel Salsmann.Honolulu Academy of Arts
900 S. Beretania St.
Three one-person exhibitions that consider the role of museum collections in society, with Francois Boullion, Sophie Calle (ends Oct. 26), Jacques Vielle and a model sculpture by Jean Clareboudt.University of Hawaii
Art GalleryDepartment of Art, 2535 The Mall, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Pieces related to travel, global interaction, intercultural contacts and personal relationships, with Sylvie Blocher, Bernard Calet, Frederic Coupet, Eric Fonteneau, Veronique Legendre, Joachim Mogarra, Jan-Michel Othoniel and Francois Quardon.
