Struggling to label Le Fresnoy? It is a school. It is a place for exhibitions. It is a cinema. Le Fresnoy is all these things and more. It is formally known as Le Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Contemporains. This is an institution dedicated to audiovisual and digital arts.
Le Fresnoy aims to help young artists from around the world. They create works using professional technical resources. They work in an environment open to all forms of expression. Le Fresnoy covers all audiovisual languages. It supports photography film and video. It also supports digital creation.
Opened in 1997, Le Fresnoy sits on a unique site. It was once a popular entertainment complex. It operated from 1905 to 1977. The Franco-Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi designed a new building. He preserved the spaces of the old one within. The result is widely acclaimed as original architecture.
Le Fresnoy attracts students from all over the world. It aims to be a Bauhaus for electronics. It wants to be an Ircam for the visual arts. Le Fresnoy strives to be a hi-tech Villa Medici. Its mission is to complete the French system of artistic education. It wants to be a unique center of excellence.
Le Fresnoy offers a two-year postgraduate course. It is based on producing fully fledged works. Students explore many disciplines. They have professional supervision. They get a budget and technical resources. Le Fresnoy has no permanent teaching staff. Visiting artists and scientists supervise students. These visitors have national and international reputations. Each student project has a professional technical and production team. Le Fresnoy supports the presentation of works. This happens at the annual Panorama exhibition. A renowned curator and scenographer oversees it. Le Fresnoy also offers a doctorate in artistic creation.
Le Fresnoy is open to everyone. It backs up work production with an ambitious events program. Exhibitions films and conferences are included. Symposiums and performances also feature. These explore contemporary creation. Le Fresnoy wants to bring contemporary art to as many people as possible. It strengthens outreach activities to widen its audience. The educational department uses Le Fresnoy’s dimensions. It acts as a teaching production and distribution establishment.
Le Fresnoy organizes two major international exhibitions each year. Panorama is a major creative event. A leading art professional curates it. It is held in the autumn. Le Fresnoy presents more than 50 new works. These are in image sound and digital creation. Films videos and installations feature. Performances photographs and sound works are also included. A second exhibition takes place in the spring. It alternates between monographs and thematic subjects. Dialogues are organized with major collections. The Thyssen Foundation is one example. The Pinault Collection and the Centre Pompidou are others.
Two cinemas offer an eclectic program. Visitors watch screenings in a historic building. It is also a contemporary architecture masterpiece. You might see a guest director in the corridors. You could spot a filmmaker or an up-and-coming artist. All question cinema and invent its future forms.
Le Fresnoy’s cinema shows new works and classics. It also shows films for young audiences. Fiction documentary and animation are shown. Le Fresnoy supports education and discussions. It has previews film discussions and festivals. Film concerts are also organized. These are done with partner bodies.
Le Fresnoy screens Cinéthèque films. These are part of the teaching department’s activities. They are free and open to the public every Wednesday. Screenings run from October to April. One screening a month is in partnership with the Cinémathèque Française. These screenings showcase classics and experimental films. They also present retrospectives. Visiting filmmakers’ works are often shown.
Le Fresnoy also screens Cinéfamille films. These are family screenings followed by a snack. They are organized with the City of Tourcoing. Tickets cost 1.80 euros.
Le Fresnoy is a place of intellectual inquiry. Symposiums conferences and workshops occur regularly. Philosophers and art historians are invited. Scientists and well-known artists attend. They question contemporary arts. They also discuss scientific topics.
Le Fresnoy encourages innovative works. Artists partner with universities and companies. Le Fresnoy is a privileged partner in digital arts. Student projects must use digital tools. This includes interactive video and audio production. It also covers virtual reality and robotics. Le Fresnoy works with major institutions. These include the Centre Pompidou and UNESCO.