A new American institution devoted to cultural exchanges between the US and France opens its doors this month at the Espace Pierre Cardin on place de la concorde. With the death of the former American Center still on many Paris expats’ minds, some people wonder if things will be different this time. To find out more we discussed the project with Michael Sisk, the new center’s director.
What’s your vision for the center?
The 200-year history of exchange between French and American culture has been pivotal in shaping contemporary Western civilization, especially the arts. We hope to establish a presence in the heart of Paris, where this dynamic relationship can confront the changing realities of a new century... a meeting place and a laboratory for artists.
Many years ago, when the American Center was located on boulevard Raspail, it functioned as a kind of community center for artists in Paris. Will the new center have room for local artists?
Certainly. I see us as having the mandate for creating an atmosphere where people can meet informally, and talk about what they are doing. We we will do shows of American painters living here and will offer a venue to theater people. I hope this will become a meeting point for creators in Paris. Even if it's just to have a drink at the bar and talk about work. A central place to meet has been missing. This is especially true for painters. Years ago St-Germain-des-Prés and Montparnasse were areas where artists lived. There was a community. That doesn’t exist anymore. Most artists live way out on the edge of Paris. So, we can serve a real purpose by being a place for artists and creators to gather and talk together.
The center is located across the street from the American Embassy. Is there any US government involvement in this project?
No. Although the embassy has been helpful there is no official involvement.
Who is supporting this project?
Pierre Cardin is a founding sponsor and has given us a favorable lease. The total budget for the first year’s programs is just over a million dollars, almost all of which has been pledged by a variety of individuals, corporations and foundations, including the Brown foundation, the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation, the University of Southern California Arts Initiative Fund, Vivendi-Universal and the Illinois Council for the Arts. We have received significant support from Chicago — one of Paris’ sister cities — from its corporations and cultural organizations.
Does this new center have any connection with the former American Center in Bercy?
No, but I was inspired by the old center’s example. What they did for many years was important and undervalued. Their demise seemed catastrophic to me... It was the impetus for our beginning.
What is the significance of calling your center French-American?
The road will go both ways. Things we will develop next season with French artists in the center will be going to America. Many of my French friends tell me that they miss the old center and the cultural things about America that they could learn right here in Paris. The exchange is artists moving across the Atlantic, but also with the center we can have a real conversation between artists here. I certainly wouldn’t do this just to show off American art. I think there are a lot of good things happening here that American artists can learn from.
The center’s debut program seems a little conservative...
This is where we’re starting. We will move on to things that are less and less conservative. We are at a moment with a lot of fascinating experimentation that I hope we will represent. I think we will create some controversy. I hope to see some good arguments. We aim to program some things that are disputatious.
Why are you starting your center before owning a building to house it?
The real estate problem is a serious one. To have a structure is so expensive that it would have required an enormous fundraising effort and considerqble preparation before getting into operation. We decided that we wanted to create the institution first... We were lucky the right home turned up. Apart from the experiences of the Bercy building, I have long had a predilection for institutions that have not got themselves expressed in architecture.
How do you see it developing over the next three years?
The first year we have the June festival – which is a concentrated period of performance and exhibition activities – to establish us. We will have two more seasons of events. One is November-December the other in February-March. From next autumn we will be doing exhibitions on a fairly permanent basis. We will be starting a film program next autumn. From the fall of the second year, we’ll be in a more permanent performance mode. By the third year we expect to be a full-time operation.
The French-American Center at Espace Pierre Cardin, 1 av Gabriel, 8e, tél: 01 44 91 03 10
This month at the center
Performances
• New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band, June 8, 9, 8pm
• Gala Benefit Performance, Hubbard Street Dance Group, June 12, 8pm
• Hubbard Street Dance Group, performing “Read my Hips,” “Passomezzo,” “Cobras in the Moonlight,” “Minus 16” June 13-17, 8pm
• Charles Wadsworth Concerts, June 21-22, 8pm, June 24, 3pm
• USC Theater Festival, June 22-30, weekdays 8pm, weekend marathon noon to midnight
• The Chicago Gospel Music Festival, July 1 & 3, 3pm, July 4 in the Jardin de Luxembourg, 9pm
Exhibition
The Sculpture of Amir Nour,
Photographs: Chicago 2000, daily (except Mon), noon to 8pm
