New Director Stéphane Malfettes Operates His Festive Revolution for La Bâtie-Festival de Genève's 50th Anniversary
Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- Stéphane Malfettes, the new director of La Bâtie-Festival de Genève, is initiating changes for the festival's 50th anniversary.
- The festival will open with a performance featuring the mythological figure Pan, symbolizing a new beginning.
- Malfettes aims to honor the festival's past without dwelling on nostalgia, focusing on a fresh, festive approach for its future.
Stéphane Malfettes, the newly appointed director of La Bâtie-Festival de Genève, is set to usher in a new era for the renowned arts festival as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. The French cultural leader, formerly at the helm of Lyon's Subsistances, plans a festive revolution to mark this significant milestone.
The celebration kicks off on August 29th with "Tous enfants de l’aube" (All Children of the Dawn). This opening event will feature actor Olivier Martin-Salvan embodying the mythological figure Pan, who will symbolically "calligraph" the birth of a new world. Set against the backdrop of the Bois de la Bâtie, the location where the festival began 50 years ago, the performance aims to capture the spirit of renewal.
Malfettes, 49, intends to honor the festival's rich history while consciously avoiding nostalgia. "No nostalgia. Just the mist of a shared melancholy," he expressed, suggesting a nuanced approach to the anniversary. His vision is to acknowledge the past while firmly looking towards the future, infusing the festival with a vibrant and contemporary energy.
The 50th edition of La Bâtie-Festival de Genève is scheduled to run from August 25th to September 13th. The festival's new visual identity, unveiled on Tuesday, reflects Malfettes' forward-looking direction. He approaches his new role with the enthusiasm of a mathematician who has finally solved a complex equation, ready to implement his vision for the festival's next chapter.
No nostalgia. Just the mist of a shared melancholy.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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