La Nuit Blanche – Where you enjoy art without sleep…..
By Jency Samuel
The art aficionados of Chennai enjoyed a night of cultural festivities at the Alliance Francaise of Madras (AFM) – a centre promoting Indo-French culture and the French language since 1953.
In Chennai, La Nuit Blanche started at 1 pm on 19 October and went on into the wee hours of the next day.
What is La Nuit Blanche
La Nuit Blanche, also known as the white night or sleepless night, traces its origins to the year 2002 when Bertrand Delanoë, who was the mayor of Paris at that time, introduced it as a festival, celebrating arts and culture.
Subsequently, it has spread to many parts of the world.
With various art shows, installations, concerts, and whatnot, public transport is operated through the night to facilitate the audience to attend as many events as they can.
Chennai’s second edition
In Chennai, the first edition of La Nuit Blanche was organized in 2023.
The second edition highlighted Indo-French culture through various parallel creative events. It was designed to offer seven different experiences through seven distinct atmospheres, each happening in a different space. Community sanctuary, the grand stage, unwind & recharge, fun & food, folk fest, mindful gallery, and glam were the atmospheres, with workshops and events held under each.
The photo booths where one could take pictures behind cut-outs of traditional French costumes drew the young crowd. The glam quotient included an inclusive fashion show.
How would you feel if you spoke to someone and he or she turned your conversation into a poem typed in on a typewriter? Madras Busking, a collective founded by Nirosha and Sairam, did just that.
Theatre Arlequin presented Sweet + Sour, five short – ‘saucy comedies’ as they called them – eliciting good laugh from the audience. Drum Circle, an instrumental ensemble with just drums, offered an interesting performance.
Varied performances by the talented musicians of Thisram, a contemporary fusion band, prompted the audience to join in, clapping to the beats of the songs. Percussionist Aditya and beatboxer Akshara offered a delightful dual.
One of the highlights of the night was a performance by an Irula tribal band from Chengelpet, led by Rani. Their songs and dance performances reflected their way of life. Each of their songs – some of which the troupe had built upon traditional songs – included a playful introductory dialogue between a couple, a dance or a dramatic performance. Though each song was about a different aspect of their life, such as growing crops and fishing, they skilfully linked one song to the next through the introduction. The song-cum-dance performance where a couple hunted rats from farm bunds and squirrels from trees held a special appeal. Often the audience joined the dancers, and asked for ‘one more song’, when Rani’s troupe was about to sing their closing song.
Popular singers like Isaivani, Dharani and Apellow belting out gaana, the unique genre of music that has its roots in north Chennai, had the audience grooving to their songs.
An open mic event helped participants showcase their talent. Added cultural feasts for the audience included Bharatanatyam, Koothu, shadow puppetry and jazz performances, besides story circles and workshops for children as well as adults.
Pop-up stalls offered various eats and memorabilia like T-shirts.
In all, the entertaining La Nuit Blanche was truly a feast for the senses.
