Digital art festival Novembre Numérique at Alliance Française Hyderabad

This global event brings together contemporary art, cutting-edge technology, and innovative discussions, offering audiences a unique journey into the digital realm.

Mr. Gregor Trumel, Cultural Counsellor and Director of the French Institute in India explains. “This month, the entire network of Alliances Françaises in India is celebrating this digital art festival, an initiative by the Institut Français to promote digital cultures every year in November. It highlights the variety of French digital creation in its most innovative forms: virtual reality, augmented reality, digital art, video games, and many more. And facilitates access to new technologies and creators. This festival also facilitates the identification of the French digital know-how and expertise to encourage Indo-French collaborations.”

Key highlights of Novembre Numérique 2024 including the ‘Looki Look’ exhibition by French artist Aurélien Jeanney, presented at all 15 Alliance Française branches in India. The exhibition, where art meets AR, will take onlookers into an incredibly playful universe, bursting with colors, movements, and sounds. Using the Maison Tangible App, visitors can hover over the artworks with their devices, bringing each image to life as it narrates a unique story from captivating scenes, from an Indian flower market to a temple.

The artist behind Looki Look, Aurélien Jeanney, will also tour and lead workshops in several Indian cities, including Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Bangalore, and Bhopal. Says the artist, “I am absolutely thrilled to be returning to India for this year’s Digital November festival to present my Looki Look project for the first time. The response to augmented reality during my previous visit was incredibly rewarding, and I look forward to continuing the conversation with the Indian audience.”

Another exciting event for Novembre Numérique 2024 is the ‘Francophonie in All Its Forms’ exhibition, presented at all 15 Alliance Française branches across India. This artistic and sound mural in AR, created by Elsa Mroziewicz, Cécile Palusinski, and Amélie Weigel, celebrates the richness and diversity of the Francophone world, for instance, the Indian Ocean Francophonie. The project invites participants to explore five artistic panels, each representing a Francophone region, brought to life through augmented reality.

This year’s festival also features an exceptional lineup of Immersive Virtual Reality Experiences, offering audiences a chance to engage with masterpieces and historical landmarks and immerse themselves in the realms of art, heritage, and history, such as experiencing the iconic Mona Lisa painting and the Notre-Dame Cathedral in France.

Nicolas Facino, Director of Alliance Française du Bengale, said: “From the timeless beauty of Monet’s Water Lilies to the architectural brilliance of Villa Savoye, these immersive experiences breathe life into history and creativity like never before. Get ready to encounter the Mona Lisa beyond the glass and explore the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in a way that transcends time and space.”

Some of the must-see VR exhibitions include: “1, 2, 3 Bruegel!”, a playful hide-and-seek adventure inside Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s "Children’s Games”, “The Water Lilies” where audiences can experience Claude Monet’s obsession with his water lily garden in Giverny.