From May 15 to August 31, 2024, Changsha IFS will launch “Bonjour Changsha,” a public art project aimed at exploring the relationship between cultural communication and local culture in the context of post-globalization. Upon the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, “Bonjour Changsha” will invite audiences to embark on a journey of French aesthetics cultivating art and fashion as a common language.

The Changsha IFS 2024 Public Art Project is co-hosted by Culture, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Furong District and Changsha IFS under the direction of the Changsha Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television, supported by the Consulate General of France in Wuhan and the French Cultural Center. The project is a joint presentation by Bazaar and UCCA Lab under UCCA Center for Contemporary Art. Shirley Liu, the Art Director of UCCA Lab, serves as the artistic consultant, and Victor Ma as the invited curatorial consultant. This public art project invites three (groups of) renowned artists from both domestic and international backgrounds to create works covering diverse mediums such as specific site installations, art exhibitions and performances, as well as a space for immersive experiences.

Notably, UCCA Lab has invited the famous French artist Jean-Charles de Castelbajac to create a new installation artwork, making its global debut at Changsha IFS. Jean-Charles de Castelbajac is an international pioneer in bridging fashion and art. His artistic style blends symbols, signs, and colors derived from various sources of inspiration, forming a unique language that transcends cultures. He will present new artworks for the Changsha audience—Emotional Cosmos and The Guardians of Time, incorporating his most comprehensive symbol language so far and injecting new elements into Changsha. 

Meanwhile, the French Archibald Caramantran group will perform the street giant puppet show De La Fontaine during May 6^th to May 8^th, turning the city into a stage through giant puppets and aerial dance. An emerging artist in China, Li Lujia, will present the "Cherry Much Club" experiential space, bringing the youthful vitality of the local urban pop culture into the art project.

The innocent perspective and highly saturated visual language presented in this public art project are intended to awaken the audience’s innate artistic perception, stimulate their childlike desire to explore, and let them become the architects of their individual stories while roaming in the romantic encounter between French aesthetics and the Changsha culture.