Spectacle : Dans ma paume : premier voyage

“Humanity's very first artwork was the outline of a hand traced onto a stone wall.”

The first is passionate about sounds and images. His partner excels in shadowgraphy. By their side, a writer lends his voice and imagination to the adventure. Together, Clément Debailleul, Philippe Beau, and Arthur Dreyfus unite their artistic languages to bring a fresh look to prehistory and cave art, going back to the origin of performance. Just like in the earliest days of humanity, magic begins when a few flames are enough to give birth to stories.

At the heart of a mysterious paper cave, the illusion is complete. A man steps forward. He seems to discover this secret place for the first time. In the darkness, a wall rises—a boundary or a gateway to another world. Suddenly, a child calls out to him. Animals appear. A drawing lights up on the rock. Then comes the moment of encounter.

This poem-play tells the story of a timeless world, where all living things are connected by deep, enigmatic forces. On stage, combined disciplines awaken our senses: shadows come to life, populated by a myriad of characters. The sound design echoes the crackle of flames and the rustling of nature. The eye adjusts to the flickering glow of fire, unveiling drawn projections and a ballet of hands in perpetual metamorphosis. The story questions the mystery of our existence while inspiring us to dream.

Before these mesmerizing images, imagination runs wild. We shiver. We smile. We witness magic. A remarkable sensory experience, Dans ma paume : premier voyage guides young and old alike back to the origins of the artistic gesture: one that invents, surprises, and brings people together.

The performance on Friday, December 18 will be followed by an onstage discussion with paleoanthropologist Jean-Jacques Hublin and the show's artists.