Maestro, musica!

Birthdays are all about celebrating a joyful event, at least in most cases. They are also an opportunity to reflect on the past, to reminisce about the good, the bad and the ugly with no discrimination, for these are the building blocks of life.

The Semaines musicales de Quimper have been around 30 years, so happy birthday Euterpe!

Birthdays are above all about being with others, about getting together with our loved-ones and those we would like to know better… With this in mind, the festival organisers worked hard to gather the prestigious musicians and ensembles that at one time or another filled local cathedrals, chapels and theatres with joyful song. Of course, organisers did not forget to invite young up-and-coming musicians as well, as the young are also the soul of birthday celebrations. Enjoy, and don't forget to make a wish!

A festival steeped in local culture.

The famed Festival de Cournouaille is something of a historical event. There aren't many cultural events which can claim to have accomodated four generations of festival-goers. This great festival has over the decades become firmly rooted in the region, the town and, above all, in local culture.

Since the first edition in 1923, courtesy of its creator Louis le Bourhis, the Cornouaille Festival has become a powerful symbol. Its history and evolution are tied to that of Brittany and Breton people at large. One of the festival's slogans, "today is nothing without yesterday and tomorrow, bespeaks the local culture which manages to blend tradition with the modern world, learning with creating, generosity with conviviality…

Above all, the festival is a cultural crossroad where Breton and world cultures can come together.

Brittany owes its authentic, strong character to cultural diversity. This festival, showcasing the old and the new Breton world, aims to be a place where artists and audience can learn from each other throughout this exciting nine-day event in the beautiful city of Quimper.

Hunting for good deals

Are second-hand stores, flea markets, boot sales, and craft fairs your favorite places to shop? If so, don't miss this opportunity to find a deal of a lifetime. Whether you're into antiques or collectibles or just looking for something original, you can find anything and everything here at bargain prices. Take advantage of this local marketplace to find just what you've been looking for!

Gestural Abstract Lyricism…

Jean Degottex, born in Sathonay, France, in 1918, came into the world of painting after the great artstic shifts of that era - cubism, abstract art, etc. Degottex was self-taught follower of Kandinsky, and his work was sometimes cryptically described as "gestural abstract lyricism".

His beginnings were geared towards a form of fauvism that was purified, broken down to essentials. He therafter turned to abstraction but with a deliberate, powerful brushstroke, reminiscent of chinese Calligraphy. The concept of Zen had always been predominant in his art.

Interestingly, Degottex later turned to the artistic base material, paper, which he scarred, tore and scratched, producing reliefs which he called "papier pleins" ("paper full"). Going further, he chose to focus on the rich and variegated textures of wood.

Degottex, who passed away in Paris in 1988, gave us art which acts as a successful counterpoint to the deluge of superficial, virtual images that has flooded the cultural landscape. His work is a balm, a truly appeasing experience that touches upon the essence of reality.

The thin line between reality and fiction.

Taysir Batniji's work revolves around notions of individual or collective identity, dissapearance, displacement and exile. The images he brings back from his travels to Gaza, the traces of his journey, are like so many parcels of memory; they represent a vehicle for recording history…

Ville Lenkkeri's photographical works have unusual subjects: museums of natural history, university of medicine collections, or the mural decorations in waiting rooms… These reveal a cinematic approach to photographical art, blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction.

Artist Yvan Salomone is more interested in landscapes, even unusual ones such as harbours and industrial ports. His watercolours are made from photographs and video works and are always in the same, large format. His images are ambiguous in the sense that they are caught between an objective documentary-style and a more subjective vision.

Lena et Victor Vorobyev are two Kazakhstan-born artists who work with urban scenes. Within their works (installations, images, performances) the viewer is confronted with communist propaganda alongside the publicity of Western consumer society.

Hunting for good deals

Are second-hand stores, flea markets, boot sales, and craft fairs your favorite places to shop? If so, don't miss this opportunity to find a deal of a lifetime. Whether you're into antiques or collectibles or just looking for something original, you can find anything and everything here at bargain prices. Take advantage of this local marketplace to find just what you've been looking for!

Bon voyage!

Expect an intense, joyous experience as this ensemble takes you on a journey across the steppes of Caucasus and into the heart of Georgian culture.
This performance will be an opportunity to discover a unique and fascinating cultural legacy thanks to a talented team of 60 singing and dancing performers. This unforgettable event will be a feast for the eyes, the ears, and the soul…

Natural local flavours!

Quimper, one of the key towns of Finistère, offers a splendid range of markets.
Connoisseurs of Breton produce will appreciate the best of Brittany's vegetables like the cauliflower, as well as salty Breton caramels for those with a sweet tooth...