Rennes, Les Champs-Libres

FROM APRIL 14 TO OCTOBER 3, 2009

The exhibition was held at Les Champs-Libres, a museum located in the heart of Rennes, the vibrant and attractive capital of Brittany.

The set design is based on a concept originally developed by Guy Claude-François for the Paris Grand Palais exhibition.

Entry vestibule – Silence. 
The exhibition entrance is set up as a special area, a unique setup that is completely black, decorated with enormous faces, motionless and silent, projected on large screens to catch the eye of the visitor. The 40 questions that were posed to interviewees are spelled out one by one by reporters in the background.

A village of yurts. 
Visitors can stroll at leisure moving in semi-darkness from one yurt to another. Each yurt becomes an intimate screening space, in which two videos are screened. The visitors' route is lit by lights that create a poetic and unique atmosphere.
 The programming of the videos screened in the yurts changes ten times in the course of the exhibition, offering visitors reasons to return and experience different topics.

A mosaic of 1000 faces. A mosaic is projected on a large screen. Each time, one of the portraits grows large and comes alive, beginning to share with us its life experiences. An emotional video of 52 minutes.

The "Making-of". A dedicated space for the "making-of" offers visitors a glimpse of the project behind the scenes. The making-of is screened during the entire period of the exhibition.

Interactive computer terminals. These terminals enable access to the www.7milliardsdautres.org website. Visitors can record their own testimonies using the webcam installed on one of the 5 iMac computers placed at the disposal of the public.

Exhibition souvenir store. The store is open every day (except Mondays and holidays). The exhibition catalog and the DVD set are always available.


EXCLUSIVE EVENTS

The exhibition's opening night cocktail party was attended by 200 guests and hosted Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Sibylle d’Orgeval and Baptiste Rouget-Luchaire, the project's filmmakers and producers.

Three private evenings were organized by BNP Paribas, each attended by up to 200 people.


MEETINGS AND DEBATES

Facilitators. An on-site facilitator offers guidance and information to visitors concerning the exhibition and its extension dates, as relevant. He suggests times for conducting introductory sessions to better understand the project’s history, the messages it wishes to convey and how to acquire the tools for actively striving to preserve human and cultural diversity. Introductory visits: Until June 30: Tuesdays at 5pm and 7pm.; Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30pm and 4:30pm ; July/August: Tuesday to Sunday at 3:30pm and 4:30pm. Guided tours specifically designed for school groups.

Particular importance is attached to raising the awareness of school students and educational bodies, primarily high school students, by means of teaching tools developed in collaboration with the Ligue de l'Enseignement Paris and made available on the Museum's website. 24 educational institutions visited the exhibition, representing more than 800 students.

Screenings of the making-of videos and meeting with the project film-makers. Two screenings of the making-of followed by a meeting/discussion with Sibylle d’Orgeval or Baptiste Rouget-Luchaire were organized, offering viewers the possibility to interact with the project initiators and with reporters on the ground. Sibylle and Baptiste themselves conducted about 2000 interviews.


AROUND THE EXHIBITION

Self-expression workshops. Inmates of the Jacques Cartier penitentiary and patients of the Guillaume Régnier psychiatric hospital met the project's producers at self-expression workshops focusing on the questionnaire on which the exhibition was built. The idea was to compare the voices of prisoners and patients to those of 6,000 "Others" filmed worldwide while looking for the common features that unite us all despite our differences.


PARTNERS

THE SPONSOR



By supporting us, our sponsor BNP Paribas is reaffirming its stated mission to become "a bank for a changing world". Its close support throughout the project, from the outset and all the way to the exhibition of Rennes, is an expression of common values and the unwavering commitment and enthusiasm of a dynamic and effective team. Our deepest gratitude to the Rennes teams for their support and cooperation in disseminating information to the public in the region.


ESSENTIAL PARTNERS



The Champs-Libres museum, co-producer of the Rennes exhibition, and especially its director for his interest in the project.


TECHNICAL PARTNERS

          

Samsung has enabled highlighting these testimonies to best advantage by providing high-quality screens.
Sanyo has facilitated all the video projection setups.
The Harman / JBL Group provided the audio equipment for all the exhibition's yurts.


PROMOTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS PARTNERS

              

France info radio broadcasted promotional spots inviting people living in the Rennes area and in the region to visit the exhibition.
Ouest France and maville.com local media gave the event a high profile through their strong editorial support.