Night of Ideas
Institut francais

  • Opening

    17:45-18:00 - Ciné Lumière
    On the Eve of Brexit Day
    • Catherine Colonna, French Ambassador to the UK, will launch the Night of Ideas 2020.
    • Theodore Zeldin, Historian and Philosopher, will share his views on Europe.



  • In the Company of Whales

    18:00-19:00 - Ciné Lumière
    Debate
     
    How can whale societies inspire us? Ever since Herman Melville published his best-seller Moby Dick, Nature’s biggest mammals have populated dreams of generations of children and adults alike. In more recent times, adventurers and scientists have unveiled the structure of their societies, while writers and artists have been inspired to communicate with them. Come and join the whale whisperers sharing their passion and knowledge through words, sounds and images.

     
    With

    Chaired by Tiu Similä, Specialist in Norwegian orca



    You may also like
    Part of the Night of Ideas
    Baleinopolis
    Part of Before the Night

  • Our Nature, Our Lives

    18:00-19:00 - La Médiathèque
    Debate
     
    Humanity’s devastating impact on the earth has led to what experts call a “sixth extinction”. While alarming reports about the state of our planet are published every day, grassroots movements increase worldwide, urging governments to take action. How do individuals find ways to live and act politically within their communities in this time of environmental crisis?

     
    With

    Chaired by Sonia Delesalle-Stolper, Journalist, UK correspondent for Libération



    You may also like
    Part of the Night of Ideas
    Experimenting with Nature
    Remapping Nature
    Part of Before the Night

  • Sounding Alive – Listening to Many Worlds

    18:00-19:00 - Les Salons
    Conversation
     
    How does sound map the present, shape our understanding of the past, and design possible futures through the field of art, design and music? For most humans and animals, sound is an essential component of “being alive”. As we cannot close our ears, it is constantly present and immerses us in our environment. But soundmaking and listening is also a socio-political act, as it profoundly influences how we perceive a given territory and relate to its inhabitants – something we share with most animals.

     
    With

    Chaired by Eric de Visscher, Visiting Professor, V&A Research Institute



    You may also like
    Part of the Night of Ideas
    Tree of Light
    The Soul of Instruments

  • Worlding Deserts, Crafting Non-Flowers

    18:00-19:00 - Ciné Lumière II
    Film & Talk
     
    How do we interact with the environment, landscape and other species? Using different processes and digital tools, French critical designer Thomas Pausz and English digital artist Owen Hindley create ‘immersive ecosystems’. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the public.

     
    With

    Chaired by Nina Salomons, XR Creative and Filmmaker



    You may also like
    Part of Before the Night

  • Experimenting with Nature

    19:10-20:10 - Ciné Lumière
    Debate
     
    What we eat, what we wear, what we buy has a massive impact on our planet. How can we reinvent our consumer habits? And how are industries reacting to the environmental crisis? From veganism to sustainable fashion, meet the “eco-innovators” who are sourcing new materials and finding their inspiration in the natural world.

     
    With

    Chaired by Maïa Morgensztern, Journalist And Editor, CULTURE ALT



    You may also like
    Part of the Night of Ideas
    Worlding Deserts, Crafting Non-Flowers
    Our Nature, Our Lives

  • Remapping Nature

    19:10-20:10 - La Médiathèque
    Debate
     
    What if Nature, as a living being, took back its rights? In 2017, after 140 years of campaigning from the Maori people, the Whanguani River in New Zealand was granted the same status as a person. Join us to find new ways to map, represent and tell stories about the natural spaces we inhabit.

     
    With

    Chaired by Lucia Pietroiusti, Curator of the General Ecology Project, Serpentine Galleries



    You may also like
    Part of the Night of Ideas
    Our Nature, Our Lives
    Part of Before the Night

  • Baleinopolis

    19:10-20:10 - Ciné Lumière II
    Short Films
     
    After the debate In the Company of Whales, dive deeper into secret whale societies with this series of short videos by Olivier Adam, currently featured in his exhibition, Baleinopolis, at the Tropical Aquarium in Paris.

     
    Introduced by Olivier Adam, Specialist in bioacoustics and Curator of the exhibition Baleinopolis



    You may also like
    Part of the Night of Ideas
    In the Company of Whales
    Part of Before the Night

  • The Soul of Instruments

    20:20-21:20 - Les Salons
    Talk & Concert
     
    Does the wood instruments are made from infuse them a soul? Luthier Christian Urbita, maker of Renaud Capuçon’s newest violin Dame Aleth, will explain how the choice of timber influences the timbre of instruments, before a performance by Tessa Seymour and Alexander Soares.

     
    Talk with Christian Urbita, Violin Maker
    Followed by a concert with Tessa Seymour, Cellist and Alexander Soares, Pianist



    You may also like
    Part of the Night of Ideas
    Sounding Alive – Listening to Many Worlds
    Tree of Light

  • Tree of Light

    22:40-23:10 - Ciné Lumière
    Closing Concert
     
    French pianist, composer and artist RIOPY will close the Night of Ideas with original music from his latest album Tree of Light. “I wanted to make an album of healing, [which] is about the environment, the climate, about healing our world and healing ourselves”. A unique concert accompanied by a light show to venture into new territories.

     



    You may also like
    Part of the Night of Ideas
    The Soul of Instruments
    Sounding Alive – Listening to Many Worlds