France: Nuit Blanche & Its Course of Evolution

    French Nuit Blanche is an art festival originating from France which happens annually all night long. Typically, a Nuit Blanche would consist of a conglomeration of private and public art galleries, museums, and other centers of art and culture, opening their doors and putting their artwork on display for the people who visit the festival. The festival would include open spaces where they have art installations and the entire field being turned into an impromptu art gallery with the best of artworks on display. Apart from this, people commemorate the local art and culture through musical concerts and dance performances. There could be dressing up games or any other cultural activities which suit the theme.

    History of La Nuit Blanch or the White Night of Paris:

    The festival Nuit Blanche, otherwise known as the White night of Paris was started by Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who has held his position as the Mayor of Paris since 2001, hinting at his perennial popularity. Ever since the commencement of his office, he has pulled off several major moves that have acted on behalf of the people. He is truly a people’s mayor. Some of his major moves included among others Velib, which was his municipal bike scheme and which has had imitators all over the world. He also brought back the Seine in the summer of 2002 when he introduced the Paris Plages plan. Similarly, he made several innovations on the artistic front and one of utmost primacy would include the commencement of Nuit Blanche. Like mentioned before, it is a festival of culture and art. It is held from seven in the evening to that of next morning and goes on all night. It normally takes place on the first Saturday in the month of October every year. In its legacy of twelve years, it has successfully garnered global recognition. The concept of Nuit Blanche has extended its promise to ten other places in Europe as well as about seven other nations in the world. These would include varied locations ranging from Kyoto to Buenos Aires.

    Nuit Blanche has always attempted to portray Paris in a new light, even for its citizens. The intimates of the city could go out on a casual stroll on the night of Nuit Blanche and be stunned to find their old streets and museums refashioned into newer dimensions. The festival changes its art directors as well as its locations every year so that nothing remains constant. Much like art itself, it is dynamic, and the festival assumes newer dimensions with every passing year. The festival has stealthily grown to be one of the most looked forward to events of the year. It now attracts a footfall of about eighty thousand people. They turn the most obvious and famous monuments of Paris like the Eiffel Tower or even the Institut du Monde Arabe into stellar unrecognizable art installations. They are sometimes bizarre, sometimes humorous, and always spectacular to behold. Performers and artists become as varied as Patti Smith to Michel Blazy.

    This event serves as a splendid opportunity to get to know Paris through the vision of established visionaries in the fields of art and culture. Not only does it prove to be a new experience for tourists outside of Paris, but even for Parisians inside, this is an experience that is borne out of the ordinary.

    Evolution of the Nuit Blanche over the years:

    Over the course of twelve years, the festival has undergone several changes. If its evolutionary process were to be tracked, it would begin at its inception when the Mairie de Paris gave birth to a global trend when they inaugurated the first Nuit Blanche of Paris. The festival today has extended far and wide into territories like Brighton and Tel Aviv. the first edition of the festival saw about twenty thousand spectators who flocked the ground of the location. The first edition happened in 2002 and was directed by Jean Blaise. The night was not only cutting edge but also popular as it had, for the first time in the city showcased art at the limelight of a festival and it proved to have worked wonders.

    Cultural centers and galleries are invited to join hands with Nuit Blanche by the directors of the event next year, who included Pierre Bongiovanni, Ami Barnak, Camille Morineau, Robert Fleck, Gerard Paquet, Suzanne Page, and others. The result was the successful execution of over a hundred events centering on the city’s art and culture.

    The next year music became an integral part of Nuit Blanche because this time directors like Hou Honru and Ami Barak became a part of the event. They were joined in by the then famed French music composer, Nicolas Frize, and together they had contributed vastly to make music a part of the collective cultural experience of the festival. 

    Jean Blaise made a return as the director of the fair the year next. He created five trails belonging to a particular theme in five of the most popular regions of the city. He pulled off a great trick to attract spectators. He channelized the nightlife of Paris and convinced about thirty bars to stay open all night for the festival. This later became a ritual and every year since has managed to garner more and more party goers and connoisseurs of art and culture.

    The fifth year of the event saw the festivities and celebrations being extended beyond the famous Ring Road for the very first time as directors Jerome Sand and Nicholas Baurriaud take reigns of the directorship.

    The next six years see significant changes in the tradition of Nuit Blanche where director Gaite Lyrique made the festival more open to live performances and performing art shows. Additionally, Roland Chammah, a renowned film distributor, and Herve Chandes, who happened to be the General Director of Cartier company made sure that cinema was an important milestone on the trajectory of the Nuit Blanche evolution map. They made a show by putting the spotlight alongside a cinematic trail across all of Paris’ most important railway stations. It was a monumental move in the history of the festival as well as Paris’ culture.

    Conclusion: 

    Nuit Blanche continues to be a rather important event of the autumn calendar of Paris. For art connoisseurs sprinkled over the globe, it is an event to look forward to. Enthusiasts have their eyes hooked onto what the authorities would have to offer for the festival this year.

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Diwali

    Diwali Celebration across the World

    Diwali, often known as the 'Festival of Lights,' celebrates the victory of good over evil...
    durga puja

    UNESCO Accords World Heritage Status to Durga Puja Festival of India

    What comes to mind when you think of the famous Durga Puja of India? It's...
    lifestyle

    5 New Year Decorations Ideas for Your Home to Light up The Festive Season

    Happy times are here again as people gear up for the New Year season to...
    Celebrate Hanukkah

    How to celebrate Hanukkah – The Significance and Tradition

    Who Celebrate Hanukkah?  The celebrations of Hanukkah take place across the world for eight days by...

    12 Days of Christmas – What it Means for Investors

    "The Twelve Days of Investors" usually is referred to as the festival on December 25th...
    Christmas-Budget

    Setting up Your Christmas Budget – 10 Tips for better Financial Planning

    We know that you have been waiting for the holiday season and after an episode...
    women ipl

    Women IPL Sensation Shreyanka Patil: From Fan to Champion

    In a cricketing universe usually ruled by dudes, Shreyanka Patil, the rookie wonder for Royal...
    Monetize Magnet

    Monetize Magnet Review – The Best Crypto and Forex CPA Network

    In today's world, cryptocurrency has reached new heights, expanding continuously and providing online earning opportunities...
    celsius drink

    Celsius Drink – What Is It and How Safe Is It?

    These days, you must come across your social media feeds with an advertisement for a...
    low porosity hair

    Low Porosity Hair Problem? Slay Locks with Moisture Miracle

    Have you ever experienced your hair being stubbornly resistant to moisture? That's low porosity hair...
    Business Cards

    Unlocking the Power of Business Cards: Networking Essentials for Success

      Table of Contents Introduction The Evolution of Business Cards Why Business Cards Still Matter Designing...