Bonjour India launches The Experience: A Digital journey with France in Mumbai
The Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Mr Alexandre Ziegler was honoured to welcome Mr Rajagopal DEVARA – Principal Secretary & Chief Protocol Officer, Government of Maharashtra to inaugurate “The Experience: A Digital Journey with France” at Cross Maidan Garden yesterday. Along with the inaugural of The Experience, the French movie digital festival ‘10 Years 10 Films’ was launched.
Dr. Bertrand de Hartingh, Curator General, Bonjour India and Director Institut Français India and Mr. Ajit Mohan CEO of Hotstar were present at the occasion.
The Experience opens to the public today and will remain in Mumbai till the 26th of December. It is a highlight of the third edition of the Indo-French collaborative platform Bonjour India, and offers an interactive and immersive multimedia experience of 45 minutes in an expansive 4000 sq. ft. pavilion rising to a height of 9 metres.
It presents the scale and richness of the past, present and future relations between France and India through experiential learning. Divided into three spaces inspired by the three keywords of Bonjour India – Innovation, Creativity and Partnership – it houses forty areas of creative and innovative cooperation between the two countries. It showcases the strength of their present and future partnerships, from trade to industry, from technology to the arts.
Created and curated by the Institut français India (IFI-cultural wing of the French Embassy) led by its Director, Mr Bertrand de Hartingh, the project has been carried out and co-curated by the design firm, SpaceMatters (Amritha Ballal and Suditya Sinha). The structure is an expression of modern urban architecture, while the exhibits in the interior create an outstanding experience using cutting-edge technology.
Using high-end digital equipment to tell the story of the Indo-French journey over time, the whole structure has been designed and custom-built in a manner so flexible that it can be used in whole or parts, creating a sculptural – and most importantly – usable public installation combining technology and new material with the ingenuity of craft. The ability to be made accessible to all and to be set up in very public spaces was essential to the project.
Speaking at the launch, Ambassador of France to India, Mr Alexandre Ziegler, said, “The launch of The Experience in Mumbai is a very important visual expression of the long term collaboration between India and France in a modern and innovative format. It highlights all aspects of our wide-ranging ties. The project and the structure itself are witness to our commitment to bring forward collaborations reflecting on our past and present to build a strong future.”
About SpaceMatters
SpaceMatters is an integrated design practise with architecture, interior, urban design and habitat research capabilities based out of New Delhi. Founded in 2005 by architects Amritha Ballal, Moulshri Joshi and Suditya Sinha the award winning design practice has been consistently recognised as one of the leading design firms in India.
About Bonjour India:
The third edition of Bonjour India 2017-18 is a four-month-long mega voyage across India that will celebrate Indo-French partnership as well as shape the next decade of human exchange between the two countries. From November 2017 to February 2018, Bonjour India covers 100 projects in 33 cities across 20 states & union territories. Bonjour India provides a platform for enduring partnerships across the themes of Smart Citizen, High Mobility, Go Green.
Bonjour India is unprecedented given the ambitious scale of its partnership with India. People at the forefront of their fields will share their inspiring journeys as they change society through their innovation and creativity. At events collaboratively organised across cities and disciplines, amid performances, debates, seminars and exhibitions, all audiences will find something that captures their imagination.
With Bonjour India 2017-18, India and France will come together to create, innovate and partner towards a progressive and sustainable future.
Bonjour India aims far, Bonjour India supports fair, Bonjour India is fun!
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