ELECTRO HERITAGE

On the occasion of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty – the Friendship Bondage between the countries France and Germany

A project in collaboration between the Goethe-Institut Chennai, Alliance Francaise de Pondicherry, Alliance Francaise of Madras, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Chennai and the Consulate General de France a Pondicherry et Chennai

The year 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty of Friendship signed between France and Germany on 22nd January 1963.This project is not just to commemorate this occasion but also to depict the friendship between the two countries through cultural ties strengthening resilience to diversities.

INTRODUCTION

The theme that the project focuses on is ‘sustainability’ conveyed through the venue for the event, which would be a heritage building-site, one in Chennai and one in Pondicherry. A German Musician and a French Musician would together create ancient musical traditions and modern sounds to produce a harmony that stretches through time and present ‘Electro Music’ concerts at these chosen venues. The building-site will be lit-up with a thematic light-installation by a French artist. The idea is to bridge the ‘then’ and the ‘now’ through heritage architecture and electro-music, by which these historic cultural treasures do not merely exist but also are artistically enhanced to be recognized by us and to be saved for and cherished by the future generation.

The organizers are the cultural institutions and the consulates of Germany and France with heritage buildings of India as the venue demonstrating that the mix of cultures of origin is an integral part answering the questions surrounding the resilience of cultures as well as its multidisciplinary aspect.

THE PROJECT – INTENTTION & OUTCOME

It is the coming together of 3 specialized artists that will make their artistic sensibilities converge towards the construction of a common project during an artistic residency in Pondicherry: A French DJ, a German musician and a lighting artist.
They will create two shows in a historical place in Pondicherry and Chennai representing their architectural memory, an ancient place maybe forgotten, will become a point of interest again. It will be covered with a sound and light shield to highlight its importance, mark the participants with its new dimension and preserve its heritage.
The creation of a tri-national musical collective is also an important objective of the project to sustain it.

THE VENUE

South Indian architecture is rich with world influences and history. However, some places tend to disappear in favour of constructions that are more modern. Anchored in the urban landscape, these buildings represent the heritage, the roots essential to the knowledge of its culture of origin and must not disappear from the urban fabric

In this regard, The Madras Literary Society has been chosen as an appropriate venue for Chennai.

THE ARTISTS

The choice of artists was made according to the principle of trinity stated above.
Born in Cologne, cultivated by the French Touch, European electronic music is by far the most popular with the world's youth. The event can only exist by drawing on this dual Franco-German heritage. One of the cradles of settlement of Reunion comes from the city of Pondicherry. It seemed natural to involve artists from the island to show another side of the resilience of culture across time and space. The selected German artist has already shown a strong interest in India and has completed a residency in Goa where she has already forged ties.

© Goethe-Institut Chennai DJ Psychorigid
Born in Moufia (a district of the capital of Reunion) from a family of Tamil origin, Psychorigid represents a certain segment of Reunionese society, those who want to dance to rhythms that correspond to them.







© Goethe-Institut Chennai
Blindoff 
Blindoff, residing in Reunion, is a lighting artist. He is currently working on land-art and architectural mapping, such as for the 100th anniversary of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.





© Goethe-Institut Chennai Golden Disko Ship-Theresa Stroetges
Berlin-based composer, musician and sound artist. She is particularly interested in breaking down conventional performing practices and genre boundaries.








Electro Heritage – a French-German cultural project at an Indian heritage venue to cherish, sustain and develop international collaborations and bridge the cultures of nations globally.