What to see at the 2018 Croisements Festival

The annual celebration of French arts is back in town

The annual Croisements Festival is back, running April 24 to June 24 in cities across China, bringing with it diverse celebrations of French art, music, film, dance, books and special exhibitions. These are just a few of the Beijing highlights; visit faguowenhua.com for more information and the full programme.

Un rêve français: an exhibition of 19th-century French art

National Museum of China. Until May 6. 50RMB; 20RMB (students)

This exhibition features French art stemming from the French Revolution all the way to World War I, with a particular focus on French society. 103 paintings in total are on exhibition, and have been lent to the National Museum from the Centre national des arts plastiques and École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts. Exhibits include paintings by Dominique Ingle, William Adolphe Bouguereau, Pascal D'Abou-Bouilleux and others, as well as works from the sculptors who created the Arc de Triomphe's 'Marseille' relief.

The True Story of Ah Q

Inside-Out Theatre. May 2-3. Tickets tbc

Lu Xun's symbolic story tells of an uneducated rural Chinese man who lives on his wits and bullies his weaker acquaintances while existing on heavy drinking, intermittent work and 'spiritual victories'. This is how he deals with his chronic weakness before those more powerful, by assuring himself of his moral superiority. Ah Q reflects Lu Xun's attitude of China's then national character, and the protagonist's untimely and tragic end is painful irony. Presented by Beijing Xinchan Performing Arts Company and directed by Michel Didym, the production combines traditional and modern storytelling that includes shadow puppets, dance, video and other multimedia effects. In Chinese.

Bridging the Gap

Tsinghua University Art Museum. May 15-Jun 17. Tickets tbc

A legendary artist connected with Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism and conceptual art, Marcel Duchamp eschewed labels and hated repetition, which accounts for his relatively small body of work, the most famous of which was a urinal. His art was designed to provoke reaction, and in keeping with his revolutionary spirit, the Marcel Duchamp Prize celebrates the year's most innovative French or France-residing artists. This exhibition takes creativity a step further; each of the artists display their own mixed-media 'stories' in their own 'climates', having designed each room to best showcase their work.

Debussymania

Forbidden City Concert Hall. May 31. Tickets tbc

For the centenary of legendary composer Claude Debussy's death, Croisements presents a number of Debussy-themed evenings, including one featuring Jean-François Zygel and Hugues Leclère, whose duelling pianos programme includes some of Debussy's best-loved works as well as solo and duet improvisations to honour the composer's numerous forays into this area (from these, the Preludes were born).

In Honour of Nijinsky

NCPA. Jun 3. Tickets tbc

Dubbed everything from the 'God of Dance' to the 'Eighth Wonder of the World', Vaslav Nijinsky was a supranatural combination of feather lightness and steely strength. As choreographer for the Ballets Russes, he created iconic but radical work. Unfortunately, choreographic sketches on paper rarely survive, but choreographer, dancer and movement analyst Dominique Brun uses documentary research and informed imagination to recreate once-lost legendary dances. Backed by the period ensemble Les Siècles Orchestra, the programme features Sacre, L'Apres and Jeux (Debussy), in a heartfelt homage to Nijinsky.

Fête de la Musique

Various locations. Jun 21-24. Free

Fête de la Musique is an annual festival of live music that's celebrated in over one hundred countries around the world, as part of World Music Day. It was launched in France in 1982, and has been in Beijing since 2012. Taking place in live houses around Beijing (for free!), this year's lineup features Pony Pony Run Run (pictured), Ghost of Christmas, Colours in the Street, Lysistrata and loads more. Check our site closer to the date for the full lineup.

Saigon

Poly Theatre. Jun 23-24. Tickets tbc

Set in a restaurant called Marie-Antoinette, Saigon crosses time and space, travelling between Paris and Saigon in 1956, when the last of the French left Vietnam behind, and in 1996, when the lifting of the American embargo gave the Vietnamese new hope. As historical events explode around them, the characters share their lives, loves, pain and dreams. Like the characters, the company Les Hommes Approximatifs' actors are all French, Vietnamese or French-Vietnamese, and the story is drawn from their experiences. In French with Chinese subtitles.

For more information about this year's Croisements Festival, hit 'Read more'.

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