Global Symposium : Montparnasse et ses héritages

Montparnasse has long been recognized internationally as a cradle of artistic creation, renowned for the multicultural and heterogeneous avant-gardeism that flourished there at the dawn of the twentieth century. French artists and creators from all over the world were attracted by this district, then renowned for its artistic effervescence, its spirit of innovation and the radical freedom that characterized it. Yet, despite its close connection with some of the most famous figures of the century notammentincluding Brâncuii, Soutine, Zadkine, Foujita, Modigliani, Picasso and many othersMontparnasse remains a distinctly under-studied and under-theorized global creative ecosystem.

If the first École de Paris (1905-1940) is the origin of the reputation and legend of the neighborhood, the artistic culture of Montparnasse continued to radiate until the post-war period, animated by figures such as Alberto Giacometti, Yves Klein, Niki de Saint Phalle, Agnès Varda, Frans Krajcberg and Claude de Soria. Today, the legacy of École de Paris is a powerful historical model of cultural openness, at a time when the need for intercultural dialogue is more pressing than ever.

This symposium aims to bring together currently disparate but closely related lines of research – covering art history, museum studies, cultural anthropology, disability studies, gender studies and queer theory – in order to initiate a long-term reflection on the creative ecosystem of Montparnasse, both past and present. In doing so, we seek to re-examine the relationship between the creators of Montparnasse and their place of life, by asking ourselves what has made – and continues to make – this district a unique place of creative fusion on a global scale.