The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation to support French participation in the Shanghai eArts Festival

Between 19 October and 20 November 2007, the first international digital arts festival will take place in Shanghai. Thanks to the support of the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation, the Visual System association will be representing France at this new global meeting for the world of digital arts with its “A Digital Experience” project. Through this initiative, the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation aims to confirm its commitment to cutting-edge French digital creativity.

A new rendezvous for the world of digital creativity

A major international event devoted to the world of digital art, the first Shanghai eArts Festival will bring together key figures in contemporary digital creativity, focusing on the theme of “The Wisdom of the Crowd.” Designed to be an annual festival, eArts aims to serve as a unique showcase for various current trends in digital creativity throughout the world. This new event demonstrates the opening up of China, begun some years ago, to avant-garde digital artistry, and confirms Shanghai’s current standing among major cultural capitals like New York, London and Paris.

“A Digital Experience” by Visual System: French digital art takes the international stage

Created in spring 2007 by young French artists, Visual System is an association that seeks to develop new modes of digital creativity, working to foster exchanges among artists from around the world. The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation supports this association, which will be representing France at the international digital arts festival in Shanghai. The “A Digital Experience” project, which will be presented as part of the official programme, is organized into two key areas: a collective assembly of animations with Paris-Shanghai as its subject, and works in progress.

Chained Animation: some 20 students from Ecole Supinfocom in Gobelins and digital arts colleges in Shanghai will team up over a four-day period to produce a short animation in the style of an “exquisite corpse” (a collection of images collectively assembled), comprising 12 10-second sequences end-to-end on the subject of Paris-Shanghai.

Moganshan Lab – Work in Progress: the Visual System team, accompanied by three other young French artists (including Djeff Regottaz, winner of a Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation award in 2000), have been working since 19 September 2007 at the Island 6 gallery, a workshop dedicated to new-generation digital creativity and equipped with a logistical and technical platform specially designed for the occasion. The workshop will be opening its doors to the public during the finalization phase of the work on Friday 19 October 2007, with a private viewing on the evening of Tuesday 23 October.

The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation and its support for young French artists



In bringing together young artists involved in the digital arts to participate in Visual System’s “A Digital Experience” project and by financing this first event, the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to young French artists and its international support for digital design. The Shanghai event will provide a unique opportunity to promote the many talented artists working in France in this creative field. L’Atelier, a BNP Paribas company, will be participating in this first event by supporting the project’s completion.

Schedule for the French team:

• Moganshan Lab, until 19 October; private viewing at Island 6 on 23 October in the evening.
• Chained Animation, from 19 to 23 October. 
• Exhibition and showing of finished works, from 19 October to 20 November 2007. 
• Discussion forum with those in charge of French and Chinese digital arts colleges, on 22 October at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.

About the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation

The aim of the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation is to forge excellence, nurture confidence and foster social cohesion in the fields of sports, culture and research. With these goals in mind, the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation supports talented young creative minds and sponsors of social-solidarity projects. It endows France with exceptional venues for sports and culture and engages in committed social action in the heart of disadvantaged neighbourhoods. TeamLagardère and Lagardère Paris Racing embody the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation’s goals in the realm of sports. www.fondation-jeanluclagardere.com.

About Visual System
Founded in the spring of 2007 and led by Valère Terrier, this association aims to bring together young French artists seeking to develop new modes of digital creativity and to foster exchanges between artists at the international level.