The French animation industry: a visionary tale of craftsmanship and national exception
In March 2025, French-Latvian animation movie Flow managed the impossible: with a team of under twenty animators and in partnership with Paris-based Sacrebleu Studios, made up of less than ten employees, Gints Zimbalodis won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film. This achievement is all the more impressive considering the harsh competition it faced, having Read more
Intimacy Coordination and Opera: an overlooked yet crucial and necessary consideration
Within the opera industry, scenes of seduction, coercion, and sexual violence are more common than many realize. Yet, the use of intimacy coordination—standard in cinema and theatre—remains largely absent from this art form. Rooted in conservative traditions, opera continues to grapple with how to handle nudity, consent, and performer vulnerability on stage. As modern directors push for realism, the lack of ethical frameworks raises questions about artist safety and authenticity in today’s performing arts. Read more
4Memes, Blackness, and the Power of Circulation
This article examines how memes function as powerful cultural tools shaped by Blackness and digital circulation. It explores how meme formats, affective media practices, and online communities reflect collective creativity, cultural labour, and political expression. Drawing on scholars like Aria Dean, the analysis highlights the role of Black cultural production in shaping digital culture, the relational power of circulation, and the impact of memes on identity, visibility, and everyday online life. Read more
Neo-Chinese Aesthetic: The Business Strategy Behind Cultural Re-Export
The concept of « New Chinese Style » was proposed by the renowned Chinese architect Liang Sicheng. Initially, it was mainly applied in the field of architecture. With the rise of the « national style », the style of « New Chinese Style » is no longer limited to the field of architecture; it also has applications in accessories and clothing. Read more
Book Covers: The end of a French cultural exception?
On Tuesday, November 4, after a month of deliberations, the Goncourt Prize is finally announced. Almost immediately, bookshop windows fill with the same volume: a white cover, framed by a thin blue border, bearing only a few words: La Maison vide, Laurent Mauvignier. Yet, for some years now, something new has been added. A half-jacket in Read more
Beyond the Red Carpet: The Business of Film Festivals
In May 2023, I attended the Cannes Film Festival for the first time, thanks to a “cinéphile” accreditation that I obtained through Audencia’s film association Les Hallucinés. We were a group of ten students heading to one of the most famous cultural events in the world, and everything looked exactly like I had imagined. Red carpets, Read more
TV Series as a Reflection of Daily and Societal Anxieties
For a long time, TV series were perceived as simple entertainment. We watched them to pass the time, relax after a day’s work, or escape from the everyday. Today, this view is increasingly outdated. Some series no longer simply seek to entertain: they disturb, question, and sometimes leave the viewer with a profound sense of Read more
Blood antiquities: The complicity of western museums in the Syrian conflict
When we think of war, we think about destruction. However, there is often a silent war against memory. The conflict that ravages Syria since 2011 has not only tragically displaced and killed millions, but has also erased a good part of Syrian’s historical heritage, that is to say the cradle of civilization. This allowed the Read more
The Louvre heist: how 7 minutes shook the world of cultural heritage
Thieves stole Empress Eugénie’s necklace from the Louvre in seven minutes, exposing critical security gaps. The theft shattered more than glass – it violated the artworks’ « aura » that Walter Benjamin described. These jewels are vessels of national memory; their loss erases pages from France’s material autobiography. The treasures will likely be disassembled, their provenance destroyed. Despite planned security upgrades, implementation failed. While technology like microtagging helps, true protection requires treating heritage as shared identity rather than power symbols. The empty display case reminds us that value lies not in carats, but in memory – making vigilance an act of collective care. Read more
Le Voyage en Hiver, much more than just a Christmas market!
Since last Saturday, the buildings of Nantes are shining, new sculptures have appeared in the streets and people are wandering from cottage to cottage with cups filled with mulled wineat Place Royale. It’s the beginning of the winter, and most importantly, the beginning of Le Voyage en Hiver (Winter’s journey)! In fact, this colourful and Read more